Shaping Fish Fillets

Appears in

The Cook's Companion: A step-by-step guide to cooking skills including original recipes

Published 1991

About

Skinned fillets can be rolled or folded into various shapes before poaching or steaming. Put the skinned side on the inside for a neater appearance when serving.

Enclosing a contrasting stuffing adds flavour and colour. Although the fillets can be cooked plain, a stuffing, which can be as simple as chopped herbs and melted butter, helps compensate for the loss of flavour when the flesh is removed from the bones.

A very simple presentation is to fold a fillet in half, tucking in the thin end. Lightly slash the skinned inside before folding, so the flesh does not contract during cooking and lose its shape.
A ’turban’ is half a flat fish fillet rolled from the wide end to the thin end. Secure with wooden cocktail sticks or poach the ’turbans’ close enough together so they do not uncurl during cooking.
Two long thin fillets of contrasting coloured fish, such as salmon and lemon sole, look sinking twisted together like a barley sugar twist. Secure with cocktail sticks for poaching.