Gutting and Bleeding

[The Great Wallsendo]

G/F bought me the book, The River Cottage Fish Book for Xmas

Very interesting book as it not only does recipes but it talks a little about the whole scheme of things - fisheries, farming, commercials etc etc

One thing I have just read is that Mr Whittingstall advocates the "bleeding" of all fish as soon as caught...this usually entails the snipping of the gills while the fish is freshly dead and allowing the arterial blood to be bled from the system...

He also advocates the immediate gutting of fish - which has been mentioned on here before...

My question is - how practical is that in a real time scenario? surely there'll be gore everywhere?

Does anyone out there actually practice these methods?

[sless]

over in ireland when we catch turbot and brill you put a little cut next to the tail and that bleeds the fish
i only know cos th skipper told me

[zippie]

seen it done sless with turbot last month,cut just above the tail where there is an artery i was told and bled straight away

[davem2005]

I used to gut fish .ie cod immediately but after seeing a certain filleting video by some guy called Alan....apparently a local bloke. I stopped making sure that fish were gutted.

Many harbours have bylaws prohibiting the filliting of fish in them and so this has lead to a majority of charter skippers filliting on the trip home.

Personaly my taste buds are so wrecked by smoking and red wine I can rarely taste the difference between pork and beef so "bleeding" fish to improve the flavour is hardly gonna make the slightest difference to me. Particularly when you add a jar of homepride vindaloo.

These guys are out to sell books...if you have the gift of tatste these guys have go with it...if not leave it in the boot of the car for a day or two in august like I do...

Both methods add flavour...its just one is a more acquired taste

Cheers
Dave

[mark]

got a copy for chrimbo too.

As much a book about fish in general as it is a cooky book, possibly more so, highly recommended!

bleeding not always necessary with us though, as often by the time Finn has been a bit over zealous with the priest there's not much head or gills left to bleed!

[gazzawill]

lmao at last 2 post's
left in boot to add flavour andthe preist bit lol