AQA Food Prep & Nutrition GCSE: question

[orimagus]

One of the skills DS wants/needs to demonstrate for his upcoming mock practical for AQA Food & Nutrition is filetting a fish.

Question: Should this include de-scaling and de-gutting the fish, or just filetting it?

I don't know. I've had a quick look in DD's revision guide for WJEC Educas and it only mentions filleting. But she hasn't actually started the course yet.

As someone who has done block work in a fishmongers. You should always descale before filleting, by filleting you will leave guts behind.

Thanks, yes, I know the fish will need to be de-scaled and gutted and cleaned before it is filetted, but my question is whether those steps can be done by the fishmonger, leaving just the fileting to be done.

DS has his mock in a couple of weeks and wants to do fishcakes. Yesterday we had a very messy practice session at home with a whole rainbow trout, guts, gills, scales and all. Later I checked the assessment criteria and it just says they have to filet the fish with minimum wastage so I'm hoping that means he doesn't have to repeat the whole experience in the classroom!

The exact wording is "Fillet a fish, removing the bone with no excess waste. Cook fish correctly and make into a fish dish"

I personally think if they wanted descaling they would mention it, as surely that's a different skill? But again, no actual knowledge.

A bit like, if you have to joint a chicken they aren't asking you to pluck it too?

To properly fillet you should not gut first only descale. The guts should remain encased in a thin sliver of membrane left behind by the filleting.

He might find a flat fish easier than a round fish I always did and you can skin something like a Dover Sole before filleting so no scaling issue.

We were told only filleting. The fishmonger can descale/gut. Dd did trout and got high marks so I suspect it was enough but check with the teacher!