We went out late yesterday afternoon to catch the incoming tide and just before a big low pressure was going to arrive... We all caught a few decent size shad... I was scratching along the piers and got lots of stumpies and blacktails... Then I caught this - I wasn't sure what it was, so released it. A really dirty fighter and very hesitant/skittish to take the bait completely...





Loaded and ready to head home...





The sun had disappeared a while ago and it was getting dark. But just as the sea can sometimes be, almost full high, the rain had stopped, the wind died down and the conditions were perfect and it was time to leave... lol.

_________________

So you’ve cleaned the fish properly and it’s time to ‘butterfly’ it...

I prefer using this mini cleaver to ‘butterfly’ the fish... It’s super sharp and slices brilliantly, even through the bone... You could of course use a filleting knife...



Whereas when you cleaned the fish, you would cut up to the head from the anal hole... You are now going to cut in exactly the opposite direction... Sort of following the bone as close as possible toward the tail from the anal hole, with short quick slices...





Once you have done that you’ll need to work your way up along the spine, again with short slices, making sure you cut right down to the skin...



You will eventually get to a section of hard bone; this is where the cleaver comes in handy... By having someone hold the fish rest the cleaver on these bones and with a sharp chop (I just strike the back of the cleaver with the side of my hand) you are almost able to penetrate right through to the inside of the head... Of course you don’t want to chop your wife’s fingers off... lol.



And finally... For the fish to lie completely flat there’s a small piece of muscle/sinew/something like that just behind the gill plate that needs to be cut... You’ll see that once you have done this, the head lays nicely to one side, making it a lot easier to put into the grill...



Now it’s time to spice, season and oil... When you’ve done all this, let the fish rest in the fridge for a while... The longer the better...





I’ve found that by cooking the fish skin side down (facing the flames) in the beginning really helps the flavour to penetrate the meat... You can also safely leave it a little longer to cook on this side... Don't turn the fish too much, it will just dry the meat out...



Time to eat...



The dogs can’t wait for this part of the evening... lol.



And there you go SeaDog...

_________________

Thank you taking the time to take those pictures and post the step by step. Now I'm headed to the store to pick up a grill basket. Whole fried fish has always been a favorite of mine. I'm exited to try them grilled.

_________________
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in
a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside,
thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming...
"Wow! What a ride!"

Looks like a member of the porgy family - probably eats very well!

_________________
"This is my signature not my facebook page."