How to Eat Fish

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

Fish can be included in your weekly diet, and eaten at least three times a week. Not only is fish low in calories it is also a great source of proteins, vitamins and minerals, and Omega-3 oils, all of which are good for maintaining a healthy body and mind. There are many ways to prepare fish to make it more interesting to eat, even for those who are not great fish lovers.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Eating Fish and Other Seafood

PDF download Download Article
  1. If the fish is being served whole, you'll want to cut the head off first, just behind the gills. Next, hold the body with your fork, and use your knife to the belly open, starting at the head and ending at the tail. Pull open the body, and remove the backbone. You can do this by placing the tip of your knife under the spine, then lifting it out with your fork. [1]
    • If you can't remove the bones, simply eat around them. Don't flip the fish over to eat the flesh from the other side of the bones. This is bad etiquette. Instead, use your fork to lift the bone up and pull the flesh away.
  2. Most fish fillets will be de-boned, but you will still want to be careful. If you bite into a bone, simply pull it out of your mouth with your fingers, and set it down onto the side of your plate.
    • Some people like to eat the skin of their fish. Other people like to peel it away first using a fork and knife.
    Advertisement
  3. Don't eat the shell, vein, tail, or head on shrimp or prawns . If you ordered pasta, likely the shrimp and prawns will already come peeled and deveined. If you ordered them as a dish, they may come whole. In this case, you'll need to the pull off the head and tail, then the shell. Be sure to pull out the black thread along the back and discard it before eating the shrimp or prawn.
    • To eat a peeled and headless prawn or shrimp: grip it by the tail, bite the body off, and discard the tail.
    • When peeling shrimp, it is easiest to start from the underside of the body, where the legs are.
  4. Crack the claws and legs with special cracker, then pull meat out with fork or pick. Some restaurants will also offer to serve the meat already extracted from the shell for you.
  5. When eating a bowl of clams or mussels, see if you can find an intact shell, then use it to grip and pull the fleshy bits from the shells. You can also use a fork instead, if you'd like.
    6. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Serving and Pairing Fish

PDF download Download Article
  1. Seafood, such as shrimp or scallops, go especially well with spaghetti. Tuna goes well with alfredo sauce and pasta.
  2. [2] You can also pair fish fried in breadcrumbs with fries/chips for a typical "fish and chips" pairing.
  3. Caesar salad goes well with pasta and shrimp or scallops, and bean salad is great when paired with tilapia. Steamed vegetables are also an excellent choice. You don't have to worry about adding any fancy sauces or oils. [3] A little bit of seasoning, such as salt and pepper, will be plenty.
  4. Quinoa is full of fiber, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, and vitamin B. It goes well with just about any type of fish. Brown rice is an excellent source of fiber, and goes well with salmon, especially miso-glazed salmon. [4]
  5. Delicate fish, such as sea bass, flounder, sole, and tilapia, need a delicate white wine for balance. Consider white wines from the South of France, Greece, or Portugal. Lean, flaky will also go well with wines like Champagne, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc. [5]
  6. Consider wines that are rich in aromas, or aged in oak. Fish like trout, catfish, cod, and halibut go well with wines like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Gris. [6]
  7. Fish like salmon, mackerel, mahi mahi, shark, swordfish, or tuna have a firm texture, almost like steak. They go best with rich wines, such as: Chardonnay, Dry Rosé, Sauvignon Vert, and vintage Champagne. They also go well with Pinot, such as White Pinot Noir and Pinot d’Alsace. [7]
  8. Fish like anchovies, sardine, herring, and mackerel need a strong wine, but will also go well with Champagne. Consider any of the following wines: Champagne, Dry Rosé, Pinot Noir, and any Greek red wines. [8]
    9. Advertisement


Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Serving and Pairing Raw Fish and Sushi

PDF download Download Article
  1. for lunch or dinner. You can eat it at sushi bars , or you can prepare it yourself. If you choose to prepare it yourself, make sure that you buy sushi-grade raw fish, as the standard fish sold at the super market may not be fresh or flavorful enough.
  2. You can eat nigiri sushi with your fingers, but sashimi should only be eaten with chopsticks. Nigiri sushi looks like little pieces of fish served in little bricks made of rice. Sashimi is thin slices of raw fish.
    • Try to eat nigiri sushi in one bite. This may be more challenging in Western countries, where nigiri is usually made larger.
  3. Never dip it rice-first into the soy sauce. The rice will soak up too much sauce, and it may fall apart. The last thing you'd want is a bunch of rice grains in your soy sauce.
  4. Miso soup complements the delicate flavor of sushi well. It is usually drunk straight from the bowl.
  5. Use pickled ginger as a palate cleanser between bites of sushi; don't eat it all in one bite. Also, don't mix wasabi into the soy sauce. The chef will already have placed what he feels to be the right amount into the sushi before serving it. If you want that extra spice, slip a little bit of wasabi under the sushi with the tip of your chopstick. [9]
  6. If you must enjoy your sake with your meal, consider pairing it with sashimi instead of nigiri. Both sake and nigiri are rice-based. Many people feel that this will create a poor balance. [10]
  7. It works well with both nigiri and sashimi type sushi. [11]
    8. Advertisement


Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      Show More Tips

      Make sure your fish does not have high mercury content, as this is poisonous. Know where your fish are coming from.

        Show More Tips
        Submit a Tip
        All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
        Name
        Please provide your name and last initial
        Submit
        Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
        Advertisement

        You Might Also Like

        How to
        Clean a Fish
        How to
        Creatively Prepare Spam: 20 Exciting Options
        How to
        Blow a Bubble with Bubblegum
        How to
        Eat Persimmons (And Tell If They're Sweet or Astringent)
        How to
        Do the Tim Tam Slam
        How to
        Eat Tamales
        How to
        Eat a Star Fruit
        The Best Ways to Add Papaya Seeds to Your Diet
        How to
        Eat Sunflower Seeds
        How to
        Eat Brie
        How to
        Eat Guava
        How to
        Eat a Rambutan
        How to
        Eat Balut
        How to
        Eat a Kiwano (Horned Melon)
        Advertisement

        References

        1. ↑ http://www.etiquettescholar.com/dining_etiquette/table_manners/dinner_etiquette/seafood/fish.html
        2. ↑ http://thehealthyfish.com/7-best-side-dishes-to-serve-with-fish/
        3. ↑ http://thehealthyfish.com/7-best-side-dishes-to-serve-with-fish/
        4. ↑ http://thehealthyfish.com/7-best-side-dishes-to-serve-with-fish/
        5. ↑ https://winefolly.com/tips/wine-with-fish-pairing-guide/
        6. ↑ https://winefolly.com/tips/wine-with-fish-pairing-guide/
        7. ↑ https://winefolly.com/tips/wine-with-fish-pairing-guide/
        8. ↑ https://winefolly.com/tips/wine-with-fish-pairing-guide/
        9. ↑ http://www.sushifaq.com/basic-sushi-experience-information/how-to-eat-sushi-sushi-etiquette/
        1. ↑ http://www.sushifaq.com/basic-sushi-experience-information/how-to-eat-sushi-sushi-etiquette/
        2. ↑ http://www.sushifaq.com/basic-sushi-experience-information/how-to-eat-sushi-sushi-etiquette/

        About This Article

        Article Summary X

        If you want to eat a fish that is being served whole, cut its head off first, just behind its gills. Then, cut the belly open from its head to its tail, and peel the fish open. Pry the backbone out with a fork if you can, or peel the flesh off of the bones with a fork. Either way, leave the belly of the fish up because turning it over is bad etiquette. Eat de-boned fillets with a fork and knife, with or without the skin. Keep reading to learn how to eat shrimp, and what foods you should pair seafood with.

        Did this summary help you?
        In other languages
        Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 91,942 times.

        Did this article help you?

        Advertisement