Fillets from large Cod are a real joy, and extremely versatile. With this quick and easy to follow video guide you too can carve out a delicious fillet or two in no time under the guidance of our expert mongers!
Fishmonger Matt's top tips for filleting fish:
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Make sure you're working on a clean, dry and secure chopping board as well as placing a damp cloth underneath to prevent the board from moving.
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Use a sharp knife with flex in the blade approx 6 inches long.
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ALWAYS cut away from yourself, keep the sharp pointy thing away from your body!
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Maintain clean and confident strokes with the blade, the more cutting you do, the poorer the fillet.
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Put adequate pressure on the blade by maintaining a consistent downward pressure to maximise yield against bone, be cautious not to apply too much, however!
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If you're a complete novice, firstly welcome! Secondly, practice filleting on cheaper fish such as mackerel to avoid disappointing cuts on expensive fish.
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If in doubt, leave it to the professionals and order superb fillets of the freshest fish in Cornwall. We don't mind if you take the credit!
What's the best way to cook Cod?
Cod is the traditional fish for Fish and Chips but it really offers so much more. Large cod has wonderful flakes with a soft texture, and the skin, when browned, is delicious. We recommend oven baking with a garlic and herb crust and served with minted mashed potatoes. If you like our Cod fillets you will definitely love our delicious recipes crafted by Chef Adam which you can find in our 'Recipe' section (Or click the handy link below)
Is Cod healthy for me?
Yes! Cod is a good source of Omega 3 oils with 342mg per 100g of fish
Is Cod sustainable?
Cod has been overfished in many areas of the Atlantic, but due to good management, many stocks are now far healthier than they were 10 years ago, which is great news. In Cornwall and the South West, however, the levels of Cod stocks have fluctuated in recent years. In cold years the stocks do well, but we have recently had several mild years and this has resulted in poor survival rates for young cod, which clearly has had a knock-on effect on overall stocks. With stock levels now thought to be below optimum, we have decided to stop offering Cornish Cod, to give the fishery some time to recover. As an alternative, we are pleased to offer Shetland Cod, that we source from Lerwick Market. See our cod sustainability guide for more information.
