Fish filleting question

[spence]

Originally Posted by JackK

Osmosis & lysis
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I believe this is exactly the case. (ok, I had to look up lysis).

The fish will actually absorb the fresh water making it mushy. Saltwater if anything would draw moisture from the flesh.

I don't think a quick rinse would make much of a difference, but if it's going to soak or be stored it certainly could.

-spence

[BassDawg]

from many yrs on the culinary circuit~~~

primarily, fresh water takes the "ocean" out of the flavor.
the only time i've rinsed fish in professional kitchens
was when they were approaching the waste stage~~~

rinsing saltwater fish in fresh water does tend to make them mushy,
it's okay if it's a quick rinse. bleeding them while live reduces the amount of red meat; since when they die, the blood has to go somewhere. if you kill them by bleeding them, then the meat IS "cleaner".

with white meated fish it's not as big a concern, but
with dark meat fish(bluefish, redfish, tuna, etc) it's essential for discerning palettes.
most people just WANT fresh fish and don't care either way.

if i'm not weighing the fish,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
i will ice it or leave it in the water until i can bleed and gut it.
then i'll rinse the cavity in the surf. peferrably rocky(no sand), waist deep,
and clean water(no mung, weed, critters) then i'll follow the normal filleting procedures.

i have cut the bile sac twice, it's ugly, and definitely taints the meat.
again, most folks don't care and wouldn't know it if ya didn't tell them.
does anyone know if it "ruins" the meat, because i've only done it twice and it is a concern of mine??

hope this helps, Mike. sorry about the other night in WKPG, i was in surfzombie mode by then

[Fishoholic]

Just a little bile.. I try to keep it away from the meat but I don't think it will hurt ya. Anything I plan on eating or giving away I always bleed right away. Then I actually wait a day or 2 to fillet them. Maybe I'm nut's but I've found the meat is at it's best quality after doing this. VERY white and flaky.

[JackK]

Agreed... I always try to wrap my fillets in saran wrap and let them sit for a few days after catching. Bass get 2-3 days, tuna 4. The meat gets firmer & there's more flavor... get that umami goin' on.

I've heard many people say striper sushi isn't any good, and it's not (IMO) if you do it with a fresh-caught fish. But if you leave the shoulder section to rest in the fridge as described above, it makes phenomenal sashimi.

[Poncho]

After shooting a deer I know guys have rinsed the inside out with water and contaminated the meat that is the worst thing you can do there is allot of bacteria in water that can be harmful to the meat. I would think that the same holds true for fish. With fish and deer I never rinse the meat off with water until I am ready to cook