The No. 1 fish cleaning tip from a guy who butchers 500 pounds a day
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Michael Perkins has been cutting fish for GW Fins since 2004. Photo: Courtesy of GW Fins
If you want to get better at something, it's a good idea to ask an expert. So if you're looking to improve your fish game, the guy you want to talk to is GW Fins' Michael Perkins.
Why it matters: Perkins has been personally responsible for butchering 300 to 500 or more pounds of fresh-caught fish every day for more than 20 years.
The big picture: There's no better time to up your game than during Lent, when many New Orleanians look toward skipping meat on Fridays.
- But for Perkins, every day is a fish day.
Zoom in: French Quarter restaurant GW Fins has been seafood-focused since its inception in 2001. Known for a focus on high quality and sustainability, current executive chef Michael Nelson insists on securing whole fish rather than precut filets.
- That decision "changed a lot for me and the way I view seafood," Nelson has previously told Axios New Orleans. "It was an eye-opening moment because I was able to work more directly with fishermen. ... The whole reason a fish house exists is because they process the fish for you."
- And there's no reason not to opt for whole fish at home, too.
Perkins joined the restaurant team just a year after it opened, but he worked his way up to butcher by 2004.
- Since then, he's gotten to know the literal ins and outs of cleaning up catches before passing them off to the chefs for cooking.
- "I've never been fishing," laughs Perkins. "But if you were to call me, I could guide you to cutting a fish at your house."
His No. 1 tip? Hold your knife at a 45-degree angle to any fish you're trying to cut.
- That's key to helping you feel when you hit bone, he says. "As long as you keep that angle, you'll be OK."
Plus, it helps to keep a sharp knife. Though "90% of fish cuts the same," some do have tougher skin, so it's important to treat your tools well.
- Perkins prefers his Victorinox knives and keeps two sizes of scimitars and a fillet knife on hand.
Fun fact: Could he cut fish with his eyes closed?
- "Yes," he says. "Once you get it, it's like riding a bike."