The Best Way to Butcher a Fish | Epicurious 101

Professional chef and culinary instructor Frank Proto returns with another Epicurious 101 class, this time demonstrating everything you need to know about prepping and filleting a whole fish for cooking. Whether you need help making a pick at the market, looking to break a fish down piece by piece, or even need tips on cooking and serving a fish whole, chef Frank has you covered in his customary fashion.
Learn more with Chef Frank on his KZbin Channel ProtoCooks!
/ @protocookswithcheffrank
Follow him on Instagram at @protocooks
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0:00 Introduction
0:41 Chapter One - Purchasing Fish
1:53 Chapter Two - Filleting
2:25 Round Fish
5:53 Flat Fish
10:06 Chapter Three - Whole Fish
13:44 Conclusion
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[@ayhamchtay5410]

What would the cooking world be without the, Chef Frank

[@beyondtheearth]

horrible

[@fawazzainullandeeen1164]

Still cooking world , though i appreciate if frank was there

[@Pine230]

Dull and boring...and deserving of destruction...

[@priyashreiya1080]

Frank is the best chef. He has everything. Talent, humour, skills literally *EVERYTHING* & that's why we love him ! 💜

[@fransciscustjokro7360]

he doesn't make his fish this time

[@priyashreiya1080]

@@fransciscustjokro7360 Haha 😂

[@jericklazaro2075]

As a sushi chef, I can confirm that this man is a genius.

[@NRUTO-ev6op]

shut up

[@davidhalldurham]

We love Frank here at our house. I always learn something and he's really funny.

[@jagerzaku9160]

His recipies on his channel are fantastic

[@ColombianLNP]

I love chef Frank ! He is awesome! Cheers from Colombia amigos!

[@MeegMaster]

I love Frank. Entertaining and informative.

[@Love2Banime]

I like Frank. It's amazing when he teaches

[@yuma_thesassytenshi8225]

👏👏👏

[@BradimusMaximus78]

I’m loving all the solo Proto content!!!

[@Rndmsr734]

Thank you, chef Frank and team! Funny and instructional. Loved the roasted branzino.

[@broly6524]

Really loved this look forward to learning more. Been wanting to learn how to cook an clean out fish it is one of those that is super difficult for me.

[@ClothesCat]

As a Norwegian I can share that I have never met anyone, ever, who has preferred scales to a soggy fish fillet. Scales are nasty and ruin the meal, a little extra moisture is manageable. The advice I got from my family when I was little was that if you are afraid you can't get all the scales off a fillet then you simply don't fillet the fish. Then again back then boiling was a lot more popular.

[@TheCotzi]

Some scales are totally edible and in asia some get made in a tempura and fried dont know if it is normal but have watched it in a video

[@DirtyFrigginHarry]

I worked at a fishmarket in my early twenties but I was very bad at it and quickly fired so this is very helpful

[@hannahdennis6533]

New viewer, I'm not even cooking fish, I just like to listen to him in the background while cooking. You're awesome Chef Frank

[@JohnHausser]

Nice job chef Frank ! Great teacher ! Cheers from San Diego California

[@mr.t6097]

On the round fish the pin bones are along something called the mud line which you can cut completely out in a V shape. There is blood flow in the mud line and it's the fishy part of the fillet so it's good to cut it out completely.

[@kaizerkoala]

As a Thai, I'm on team whole fish all the way. No filleting either, let me be a savage on my fish.

[@pro_154]

respect XD

[@harmonicspice2536]

My dude

[@steelkamote1888]

As a Filipino, I agree

[@Me-eb3wv]

You eat everything even the bones and head?

[@akuiori]

congrats, to each his own though...

[@WarpFactor999]

You missed walleye pike! The #1 favorite fish in the N. Midwest. Easy to fillet and no pin bones! Nice video Chef!

[@dylanf3108]

Thank you Chef Frank for the help

[@fierenz]

I love this guy :) Always a real pleasure to watch. Thanks

[@TheJCJexe]

What an amazing teacher!

[@woodstream6137]

I was watching chopped and this guy had a neat pin bone hack. Lay the filet over an upside down bowl and the pin bones will stick out easier to tweezer.

[@Argonaut520]

That asks for the demonstration, can I get the video name to look for?

[@glorijagabrielerutkauskait3391]

im not sure why did i watch this, but it was totally worth it! great work!

[@nichtlachen1554]

I'm a simple man. I see Chef Frank, I'm happy

[@mikewozawski1634]

I love frank he's a great on explanation and having fun at the same time

[@clarissakrigger4599]

It's a skill I want to learn but terrified to do. Thanks chef

[@mariefusaro301]

I love this guy

[@emanuelebolli6437]

Thank you Frank

[@alexalviso654]

i got a sepcked trout and thank you for this

[@harmonicspice2536]

Chef Frank, I am big fan and I like your work and all ,but when it comes to whole fish the only correct way is to use your hands to enjoy the fish. That's a strong opinion too btw😃. Keep up the good work.

[@furretman3741]

meat is always finger food for me

[@thewhitepenguin1328]

Thank you so much ❤

[@morriganwitch]

Gotta love Frank xxx

[@Righthand_]

“You are not a surgeon” Dr Murphy takes that personally

[@brokenglassshimmerlikestar3407]

When I was little, my family always let me have the fish eyeballs. There's some gooey good stuff in there, same with inside the fish head!

[@eyanatahmed9911]

We love FRANK!

[@maryngshwuling9916]

Thanks for sharing 🌈

[@vso8247]

Roasted/oven baked thai whole fish is my favourite way to eat fish! Its so juicy and flavourful!

[@ZENsushimuncher]

Frank Proto is the BEST

[@cheng1991]

Frank has great sense of humour

[@eduardradoiu4897]

Respect!!!

[@kellywhite9299]

I'm of the strong opinion that running a fillet under water does not remove flavor. It does remove scales, slim and blood that may be on the meat from the cutting board. Laying the fillets on a towel (paper or otherwise) after rising will remove the excess water, and all is good.

[@kliverjohn]

That flat fish cooking method very excellent. And now how my mom cool : Throw whole fish in hot oil. Calm and steady while oil splash like wave hitting rock.

[@allankaangtv6350]

Wow,, nice!

[@lauryn_jc]

Frank: "When buying a fish..." Me, pulling out my fishing rods: "Buying?"

[@idunno3302]

the new video with the real butcher was great!

[@ruffr4bb1t]

Yes! I’m still intimidated by whole fish but i want to start saving the bones for stock instead of buying the store condensed stuff

[@rmurray819]

Idk if you’ve ever been fishing before but I like to practice on dead bait fish

[@joseluissilvazegarra]

Please tell chef frank also to know if the fish that you buy is fresh is also in the gills, if they are red like ruby it's fresh but if it is black or purple it's old.

[@LilT2o00]

The eyeballs are great

[@gg31hh]

I wonder if Frank can teach us if method of cooking in camp is different to cooking in kitchen?

[@siddlicious]

Frank, is there a reason you ate the first filet with the fork upside down? Is that a technique or just something you did in the moment?

[@chiujacky2905]

In my hometown, steaming with ginger, scallions, and soy is the best way to cook fish.

[@priyashreiya1080]

May i know where are you from?

[@MUTFAGINIZDAYIM]

Emeğinize sağlık 🤝🙋🇹🇷

[@namulondobeth8345]

Mr. Frank thanks for teaching really very wonderful

[@yanislavbochev8221]

Hello, what is the brand of the knife

[@arsenijereshkovich8774]

Totally agree on Scales, jesus they're so nasty with that cold plastic texture. Thank you Chef Frank !!!

[@csabah.6251]

Good stuff. One more thing to check for freshness. The gill should be dark red. If it is pale... don't buy it.

[@AbwoliMorine]

I ❤ how you do your fillet

[@rizrizriz]

I gut my own fish. That way I know it's really clean and thorough.

[@fransciscustjokro7360]

Frank usually makes his own fish

[@mahinmuntaha1068]

The creator of Epicurious has been waiting over 14 years to get so many views and subscribers

[@pb7199]

personally as a Bangladeshi person I think filleting fish is a waste of time (we eat a lot of bone-in fish in our cuisine so you learn how to eat around them very young, plus ain't nobody got time to fillet fish all day long) but I love Frank and I respect sushi chefs for thei skill and expertise

[@sourabhjain4522]

pls do a Biryani challenge cheap vs expensive

[@jadedDoll]

Uncle Frank strikes again!

[@moh6296]

Why did you guys remove the part of him cooking the fish??

[@ogbonker]

Wow

[@FxMal]

I am that savage that eats the flesh right off the bone on a whole fish lol

[@davidtaylor8822]

Here in the UK, that branzino is called 'bass', or 'seabass' (a tautology, as there are no freshwater bass in the UK). And being a Brit, I just can't get used to 'fillay' - I 'fillet' my fish (and I eat plaice skin - delicious!).

[@grovermartin6874]

Both fillet (fill-it) and filet (fi-lay) are used in the US. Just to be sure to make things harder. Look up the pronunciations for "banal" and emphasis on "ballet" for more fun.

[@samerick2787]

Some may say Frank farms his own fish😅

[@catsmith233]

So you just fry it in the pan? I’ve been grilling mine

[@alfredkhew1634]

13:37 cheek is the best part, get it silently and give it to the woman you love.

[@jep9092]

Tasty

[@elizavetavinokurova7624]

Fish has always been intimidating for me. I hope these tips will be a first step to overcome that. Thanks chef Frank!

[@siewheilou399]

How many knives?

[@yuma_thesassytenshi8225]

👏👏👏

[@TY-ob7fz]

Hey frank. Better than cheeks are the gray matter in the fish head. 😋 Sweetest and tastiest part of the whole fish.

[@rubenbroodryk4855]

Frank needs his own channel

[@woodstream6137]

He does or did, can't remember the name.

[@woodstream6137]

Protocooks with Chef frank

[@issaaraki4765]

As a sushi chef its slightly different. We don't use a flexible boning knife, but rather a pretty stiff and thick knife. Theres nothing wrong with western style butchery, however its a lot more messer which is an absolute sin in a Japanese kitchen.

[@squealingbagpipes1686]

Mike Cruz should be doing this!

[@ashtyn..rose0]

is it just me or do i feel bad for this fish- also good job chef frank! you helped me learn how to cook and i love it now!

[@Bears2024]

Did Frank sail out himself and catch these?

[@Whysoserious___]

For cleaning a cooked fish go for a waiters video. Thanks for the rest of the video.

[@nozrep]

ayeee Will Sasso is a secret professional chef! 🥴🤪 bet Chef Proto has NEVER heard that one before. Surely not. My joke is certainly totally original. hahaha anyways, excellent tutorial.

[@nozrep]

why did they spell filet incorrectly the whole time and in the title? Jeewhiz. such a great video anyways. I have been fishing more lately but other people have been fileting them and I need to learn to do it myself.

[@AmberU]

The skin is very tasty !

[@thepimme]

The different coloured sides on that second fish are giving me the hibbie jibbies

[@Pine230]

I love eating the skin of flounders, a type of flatfish, with curry powder.

[@chinnidiwakar]

Iam not afraid of fish, iam afraid of frank

[@galacticmechanic1]

now bread and fry the fillet 😋

[@ChibiSteak]

13:54 fin.

[@findmi2708]

I wonder if chef proto and chef ramsay are friends or acquainted?

[@MsCoochi]

1:48 I’m sure I’ll end up at the store that tries to charge for scaling

[@Forsakianity]

lightly fried fish fellets

[@HAmerberty]

Kiss the fish! Kiss the fish! Kiss the fish!

[@Dahalx]

I want those tweezers

[@jdawg4510]

As someone who's fileted thousands of bluegill it annoys me how chefs fileted small fish. You can do each side in one continuous cut and it's easier to remove the skin if it still attached to the tail.

[@TheCotzi]

When you skin a fish and the skin is edible you can Deepfry it like Tempura the chin meat from the head could have ben cut out also a spoon to scrape the spines could be also told but away from that nice video

[@johnsmalldridge6356]

You can just continue to fillet over the over the rib bones and avoid dulling your knife on the bones.

[@davidmilhouscarter8198]

13:44 Jeepers creepers 👀

[@afout07]

Rinsing fish is perfectly fine if you're cooking the fish right after you rinse them. It is not a good idea to rinse your fish fillets and then throw them in the fridge for a couple days, especially not saltwater fish.

[@mchief3463]

does this hurt the fish

[@jamesevans7388]

Do ppl not eat the fish brains? Its pretty tasty when roasted.

[@jayharv285]

It's not exactly common in a lot of areas and can be unsettling for a lot of people