FISH.gov.au

PREPARATION

Important rules

Small amounts

Prepare only small amounts. any seafood waiting to be prepared should be kept clean, covered and chilled.

Fully thaw

Fully thaw. All seafood should be fully thawed before cooking (except for very smal pieces of seafood or for pre-processed seafood that is specifically designed to be cooked from a frozen state). It is very impotant that crocodile flesh be fully thawed before cooking.

Do not overcook

Do not overcook. Seafoodis easy to overcook as it generally cooks very quickly, especially compared with other meats.

Do not reheat

Do not reheat. Cooked seafood becomes tough and dry when reheated.

Do not refreeze

Do not refreeze. Seafood should not be refrozen because the texture, depending on the species, will either toughen or become too soft and the flavour will dilute. Refreezing will also increase the chances of microbiological spoilage.

Keep cutting boards clean

Keep cutting boards clean and sanitised. Cutting boards are a very significant source of product contamination. Whether wood, nylon, glass or any other material, they must be in a good state of repair (e.g. without hard-to-clean knife scars) and must be properly cleansed and sanitised after each use (see Safety & Quality chapter). Ensure that they have every chance to dry out to help limit the growth of bacteria. Each board should have a sole purpose (i.e. one for raw products, one for cooked and one for ready-to-eat products) to eliminate the possibility of cross contamination. Colour-coded boards help ensure that each is used for its designated purpose. Store cutting boards well away from preparation areas, dust and vermin, and replace or re-surface them when they are badly etched.

REMEMBER THE SUPER SEVEN OF SOUND SEAFOOD HANDLING:
1 Handle carefully
2 Sort, grade and separate
3 Keep it clean
4 Keep it cool
5 Keep it covered
6 Keep it moist
7 Keep it moving

Killing

Finfish and large crustaceans should be killed before cooking. If not:
•
the flesh can toughen;
• crustaceans may throw claws or legs when stressed;
• it is recognised as being inhumane and you can incur a fine.

Chill before killing

It is important to chill live seafood before killing it to:
• prevent stress to the seafood and resultant loss of quality;
• make the seafood easier to handle and humanely kill.
Chill by placing the live seafood in the chiller until immobile—the seafood may need to be placed in a plastic bag to prevent movement and damage.

To kill finfish using iki jime

For maximum product quality and minimum stress to a finfish the iki jime (live killing) method can be used. This instant killing method reduces the accumulation of waste products in the flesh, minimises physical damage (including the loss of scales) caused by the animal’s sometimes violent body movements and keeps the finfish intact apart from a small hole in the head. For best effect the fish must be bled and chilled in an ice slurry immediately after it has been spiked.

In iki jime (pronounced “ick-ee jee-mee”) a spike or awl is inserted directly into the brain causing immediate brain death and the cessation of all motion. Iki jime also prolongs the process of rigor mortis—the natural stiffening of muscle tissues after death. Deterioration of flesh quality occurs mainly after rigor mortis, so delaying the onset and process of rigor mortis through “quick kill and chill” techniques produces a higher-quality product with a longer shelf life.

Some practice is required to perfect the iki jime technique. The position and angle of spike entry required differs between species and one example of each species may need to be cut lengthwise through the head to locate the position of the brain. When spiked correctly, a fish will exhibit a short but violent convulsion (due to the physical stimulation of the brain) before relaxing.

To use the iki jime technique:
Hold the fish firmly and insert a spike into the brain. This should be done as soon as possible after capture.
Bleed the fish by cutting through the top of the gills. Access the gills by lifting the gill cover.
Place the fish in an ice slurry. Use mostly freshwater and freshwater ice to produce a slurry with the consistency of wet concrete and a temperature between –1°C and +4°C for no more than 2 hours.
Remove fish from the ice slurry and process further or store as required.

To kill eels

Grasp the eel just behind the head, using a cloth or glove to get a good grip. Pierce the spinal cord with a knife or skewer inserted through the back of the head.

Alternatively, eels can be killed by beheading.

To kill crustaceans

Knife, drown or behead the chilled crustacean, to make sure it is dead and not just stunned. Perhaps the most humane method is by knifing.

CRABS
1 Knife a chilled crab by lifting the abdominal flap (tail flap) with your hand and inserting the knife all the way through the brain (shown here with a mud crab).
OR
2 Alternatively, you can knife the chilled crab through the eye.

ROCKLOBSTERS AND CRAYFISH
1 Knife a chilled rocklobster through the centre of the head (shown here with a southern rocklobster). Push the knife through to the board.
OR
2 Alternatively, you can knife the chilled rocklobster through the eye.

Smaller crustaceans such as marron are best killed by splitting longitudinally with a single knife blow. Insert a knife between the eyes and then push down along the length of the body in one quick movement.

Preparing finfish

Types of cuts

Preparing cuts

There are many ways of preparing cuts, especially when filleting—no one technique is superior. The methods presented here are chosen because they are practical and efficient. Other techniques may be just as good.

TIPS:
• Chill the finfish to between –1°C and +4°C. It will be easier to handle and the flesh will not damage as easily.
• For a better grip, use a filleting glove, rough rubber gloves, disposable paper towels, or a little salt on your fingers.
• Work with a good supply of cold running potable water.
• Use only sharp knives and always cut away from your body.
• Always slice flesh with a knife, do not use knife as a saw.
• Be careful when straightening a finfish for preparation, as it may still be in rigor mortis. This can cause the connecting tissues to tear, resulting in a gaping fillet and loss of fluids.

Gutting (through the stomach)

For most purposes, finfish are gutted through the stomach. This is a quick and convenient method:
1 Slit open the belly from the ventral opening to the gills.
2 Ease out the guts.
Note that gutting through the gills is suitable for sashimi tuna and smaller finfish that are to be cooked whole, or finfish that are to be cut into steaks. Gutting through the gills is used in these situations because it preserves the shape of the finfish.
3 Rinse out the gut cavity with cold running potable water. Depending on the species, you may need to use a spoon or knife to scrape along the vertebrae in the gut cavity, to remove the kidney and any remaining blood. Once this is done use the fish as soon as possible to limit bacterial growth.

Gilling

Gills are best removed because they are bitter tasting and cause the finfish to go “off” more quickly due to their blood content and high level of unwanted bacteria.
1 Fan out the gill flap and cut along its top. Repeat on the other gill flap.
2 Pull out the gills.

Scaling

If the finfish is to be skinned scaling is unnecessary as both skin and scales can be removed together. In some cases the scales assist the skinning process by holding the skin together.
To scale:
1 Use short firm strokes with a scaler or the back of a knife, from the tail towards the head (shown here with a yellowfin bream). Repeat on the other side.
2 Wash the finfish in clean, cold running potable water to remove any loose scales.

TIPS:
• To prevent scales from flying around:
– scale under water, or
– place the board at an angle in the sink.
• Pay particular attention to the areas around the belly, gills and fins because the scales there can be easily missed.
• On finfish with large scales, it may be easier to scale the head region first and then work back towards the tail. This is because the scales near the head have fewer scales overlapping them hindering their removal.
• When you grasp the head to scale the finfish, hold the pectoral fin back with your thumb because the small bones in the fin can be dangerous if flicked out when scaling.

Trimming

If you are serving finfish whole, the fins and tail can be trimmed to an attractive shape. Trimming is not necessary if you are going to fillet.
To fully trim, use a pair of heavy-duty food scissors and cut the fins and the tail as close as possible to their base. Check that you have not missed any fins.
If you wish to leave the tail on, it is best to trim the end so that it keeps its shape, but does not burn and shrivel when cooked.

Scoring

Scoring will help:
• more even cooking;
• pre-portioning;
• reduce cooking time, which also helps maintain nutritional value;
• give an attractive appearance.

Be careful, as scoring too deeply will cause:
• shrinkage of the skin;
• the flesh around the score to cook too quickly and burn;
• drying out of the flesh around the score;
• an unattractive appearance.

Whole finfish or thick fillets are often scored before being baked, grilled or barbecued:
1. With a sharp knife, just nick the finfish three or four times on each side. A deeper cut (3–15 mm) can be made on thicker finfish. Attractive patterns can also be created by scoring, for example a criss-cross pattern to create a “pineapple” appearance.
2. Scoring a whole finfish can also include a shallow cut along the middle of each side (parallel to the backbone).

Beheading

When to behead:
• If you intend to serve a whole finfish dressed, remove the head before cooking as there will be less chance of damaging the cooked flesh.
• When scaling, remove the head after scaling—use it for a better grip.
• When gutting and gilling, behead after gutting and gilling.
When filleting, do not remove the head.

Most finfish

For most finfish:
Place the knife behind the gill cover and pectoral fin and cut all the way through.

Flathead

For flathead:
Separate gill cover and body. Insert the knife at 45° to the board and then in one action cut right through the backbone. This will leave the fillet with the bones in and the wing (lug) on.

Large heavy-boned finfish

For large heavy-boned finfish, such as emperor, yellowtail kingfish and tuna:
1 Opening the gut cavity, cut the first vertebra—just behind the head.
2 Holding up the gill cover, cut behind the small bone behind the head. Repeat on the other side.
3 Pull the head off backwards.

Skinning

A lot of the flavour and nutrient-rich finfish oils are found just under the skin and are lost if the finfish is skinned. However, oily species such as mackerel and mullet may be better skinned to reduce the strength of the flavour. It is also necessary to skin the few finfish that have very tough or unappetising skin, such as shark.

It is best to skin roundfish after filleting because the skin helps hold the flesh together, the fish is easier to handle and the method is more time-efficient. It is easiest to skin a flatfish while still whole.

Skinning a fillet

1 Lay the fillet skin side down on a board. Cut vertically through the flesh, to the skin, about 1 cm from the tail end.
2 Press a finger on the exposed skin at the tail end. Insert a knife at a shallow angle beneath the flesh. Keeping the blade at a slight angle but almost parallel to the skin, cut away from you with a smooth stroke to separate the fillet and skin. While cutting one way, pull gently on the skin in the opposite direction.
Skinning can be done only if the knife is sharp. Do not saw the flesh, as this could damage it.

Skinning whole roundfish

1 Make a shallow cut along the upper surface of the back—just off centre—from the tail to the head; keep the knife as close as possible to the dorsal fin. Make sure the scales have been scraped away from the dorsal fin, as they can cause the knife to slip.
2 Take a firm hold of the skin near the top of the head. Gently separate the skin from the flesh by nicking the membrane between the skin and flesh with a knife, in a cutting motion. Work towards the tail end.
3 Repeat on the other side.

Skinning whole flatfish

1 Trim the long-based fins with food scissors.
2 Make a cut through the skin near the base of the tail, to separate the skin from the flesh. Be careful not to cut the flesh.
3 Pull the skin off towards the head. Place your free hand on the tail, moving your hand up as the flesh is exposed. This helps prevent the flesh from tearing.
4 Repeat on the other side.

Filleting

When filleting a whole finfish, it is better not to gill and gut it first. It is essential however to use a sharp knife.

Two filleting methods for roundfish are shown below. Method A is the more common but it requires separate removal of the bones. This can cause some flesh to be wasted. Method B is the preferred technique, especially for larger finfish, but pin (lateral) bones remain in the fillet.

Filleting roundfish — Method A

For Method A:
1 With a sharp filleting knife, cut diagonally from just behind the pectoral fin towards the head, until you reach the backbone.
2 Turn the blade to lie flat on the backbone.
3 Run the knife the length of the finfish from head to tail, using as few as possible smooth, slicing strokes.
4 Turn the finfish over and repeat.
These fillets will still contain the pin bones and the rib bones.

TIP:
• For steady filleting, hold the head of the finfish with your free hand.
• A stainless steel glove should be worn on the hand not holding the knife.

To remove the bones from the fillets:
5 Place the fillet skin side down. Run the knife under the rib bones and ease them out of the fillet.
6 Using your fingers, feel the pin bones down the centre of the fillet. This can be done with the skin side down but is often easier with the skin side up. Cut into the flesh on either side of the line of bones, making a V cut through the fillet.
7 Lift out the V-shaped strip of flesh containing the pin bones.
Alternatively, the pin bones can be removed from larger fillets with tweezers, although this can be difficult, especially on fresh fish.

NOTE:
Larger and heavier-boned finfish call for a larger knife, but the knife must still be slightly flexible so that you can feel the bones. Different types of knives are used for filleting and steaking or gilling and gutting.

Filleting roundfish — Method B

For Method B:
1 Cut diagonally from just behind the pectoral fin towards the head until you reach the backbone.
2 Insert the knife at the dorsal (top) edge. Follow the backbone while touching the pin bones with the tip of the knife until the knife is beyond the ventral opening.
3 Ease the knife straight through the body until the point of the knife protrudes beyond the ventral opening, close to the tail.
4 Following the backbone, remove the tail end of the fillet with a slicing motion towards the tail.
5 Lift the fillet near the head and cut through the pin bones towards the rib bones. Continue cutting the flesh away from the rib bones.
6 Cut over the rib bones.
7 Slice off the fillet along the ventral (bottom) edge.
8 Repeat on the other side.

Filleting flatfish (for four fillets)

It is possible to produce two fillets from a flatfish, but is easier and more common to produce four fillets.
1 With the point of the knife, score or cut around the edge of the finfish to outline the shape of the fillets.
2 Make a cut along one side of the backbone.
3 Keeping the knife almost flat, cut the flesh away from that side of the backbone, slicing along the top of the bones towards the edge. Use a slicing action from the head end towards the tail.
4 Repeat on the other side of the backbone (shown here with a sole).
5 Repeat on the other side of the finfish. Either side can be filleted first.

Preparing cutlets

Cutlets suit large barrel-shaped roundfish such as yellowtail kingfish, mackerel, large mullet, Atlantic salmon and tuna.
Gut, trim and scale the finfish and then cut off the head. The skin and backbone are left intact to add flavour and to hold the flesh together.

Cutting equipment

A band saw gives best results and is essential for tuna.
If a band saw is unavailable use a cleaver and mallet for large finfish and a heavy-bladed knife for soft-boned species.

If using a band saw

Start behind the head. Cut thick, even slices through the flesh and backbone.

If using a cleaver and mallet

1. Cut to the backbone or as far as possible with the cleaver.
2. Use the mallet to strike the back of the cleaver blade, cutting through the backbone. Repeat this all the way down the finfish.
3. Then cut the rest of the way through with the cleaver.

Preparing steaks

Steaks are prepared the same way as cutlets, except that the bones and skin are removed.
1. Prepare as a cutlet.
2. Skin.
If you are removing the skin before cooking, insert the blade of a small, sharp knife between the skin and the meat. Gently pull the skin off while cutting, following the contour of the flesh. The skin can alternatively be removed after cooking.
3. Bone.
Use a small sharp knife and cut around the backbone and rib bones. Carefully remove the bones, ensuring that no pin bones remain. Feel for them with a clean hand.

Preparing escalopes

Escalopes are best cut from large, skin on, boned-out fillets.
With the tail facing away and working towards it, cut diagonal slices, keeping them as even as possible. Start with the flesh at the tail end. Leave the skin behind.
The slices can be paper-thin (smoked salmon) or up to 2–3 cm thick for cooking methods such as pan-frying. The objective is to produce escalopes of even thickness.

Preparing butterfly fillets

Butterflying is another way of filleting a finfish. Rather than taking the fillets away from the backbone, the bone is taken out. The result is one fillet, not two. Usually the head and tail are left on to hold the finfish together during cooking.
If you are boning roundfish, bone through the stomach unless they are to be stuffed, in which case it is better to bone them through the back.

Roundfish — butterflied by boning through the stomach

1 After gutting, gilling and trimming, continue the stomach slit as far as the tail.
2 Hold the cavity open to expose the backbone and ribs, which are embedded shallowly in the flesh and covered by membrane.
3 Working from head to tail, nick the membrane with firm careful strokes, cutting the rib cage free from the backbone.
4 Open the finfish as wide as possible without tearing the flesh. Gently run the knife down both sides of the backbone, cutting the bones free and being careful not to cut the skin.
5 With a pair of food scissors, cut the backbone free at the tail end. If you are keeping the head attached, cut the backbone at that end too, at the third vertebra from the head. Gently pull out the backbone.
6 Remove the ribs by holding the knife parallel to the flesh, cutting just under the rib cage.

Roundfish — butterflied by boning through the back

This method of boning is normally used if you are stuffing the gut cavity.
Optional: gill, trim and behead.
1. Cut along one side of the upper surface (close to the dorsal fin) from the tail to the head.
2. Lift the top portion of flesh and gently cut the flesh from the bone, working to the belly side, and open up.
3. Remove the guts.
4. Turn over and repeat cuts on the opposite side.
5. Use food scissors to cut the backbone at the tail end, and gently remove the backbone with the attached pin bones.

Butterflying flatfish

1. Trim the long-based fins and remove the head. The skin is usually removed as well.
2. On one side, cut into the flesh along the “top” edge of the flatfish. Gently lift the flesh with one hand, and cut it from the bones. Continue to the edge of the rib bones, but do not cut all the way through. Repeat on the opposite side.
3. Use food scissors to snip the backbone at the head and tail.
4. While holding back the flesh, snip the pin bones and then repeat on the opposite side.
5. Gently lift the backbone at the tail and pull away from the flesh.
A butterfly fillet from a flatfish remains.

Folding (delice), rolling (paupiette) or plaiting

Firm thin fillets are particularly suitable for folding, rolling or plaiting. These forms may be used to provide more regular shapes and therefore ensure more even cooking of the finfish. When folding or rolling, a stuffing can be added. This method can be used for such finfish as whiting, ling, trout and coral trout.
When preparing a fillet for plaiting, the fillet can still be kept in one piece.
It is important to fold or roll the skin surface on the inside because the connective tissue on the skin surface will shrink when cooked, keeping the roll tight. This method can however also be used for a skinless fillet.

Preparing eels

Eels can be prepared in a similar way to other finfish. However, since eels are less commonly prepared and their preparation presents certain difficulties, the process is described separately here.
Eel skin is tough and slippery and should be removed as soon as the eel is dead. If the skin is not removed it will dry out and become even more difficult to detach.

TIP:
To remove skin more easily:
• Put a hook with a rope attached through the gills or the top of the head and hang the eel from a secure point. Alternatively, secure the rope over the end of a work bench. The skin can then be removed as described below.
or
• Blanch sections of the eel by dropping them in boiling water and removing quickly. Pull off the skin—it will come away easily. Then immediately drop the eel into cold water.

1 Slit the skin just behind the gills, circling the body.
2 Grasp the skin and pull it back. This is difficult so you may need pliers, a glove or a disposable paper towel.
If the skin rips, loosen it with a knife and repeat the process.
4Gut:
• Put a small-bladed, non-flexible knife in the ventral opening and cut towards the head.
• Push all the guts to one side of the eel.
• Cut the membrane along one side of the backbone.
• Move the guts further over and cut the membrane on the other side of the backbone. The guts will then fall out. Discard them.
4 Eels can be filleted in a similar way to other finfish. With the eel on its side, cut across the flesh to the backbone just behind the head. Run the knife down the centre of the eel, keeping the blade parallel to the backbone. Remove the fillet. Repeat on the other side.
If you are leaving the eel whole, remove and discard the head by cutting it off just behind the gills.

Preparing crocodile

Remove much of the fat

About half the fat in crocodile meat is concentrated in large globules and is easily identified and removed with a knife. Smaller sections of fat and the fat marbled through the flesh should be left, as these help maintain the texture and flavour during cooking.

Steaks

Steaks are cut mainly from the tail. When the backbone is still in, round medallions (which look like tenderloins) can be cut from each side of the vertebrae and underneath. Backstrap steaks, which are more rectangular in shape, can be cut from on top of the backbone. Any offcuts can be diced or minced and used in dishes such as stir-fries or for kebabs.
To cut steaks with the bone in, a band saw can be used to cut through the backbone. However, crocodile meat is normally sold de-boned and steaks are cut by starting at the thick end of the fillet, measuring inwards a few centimetres, and slicing downwards through the fillet.

Chunks and medallions

Chunks and medallions can be cut from any thick part of a fillet or loin.

Squares

Squares can be formed by rolling or folding the thin part of the fillet into a size suitable for skewers.

NOTE:
• There is no need to tenderise crocodile flesh. The use of a mallet may only cause damage.
• Crocodile takes about the same time to cook as a beef steak of the same thickness. Do not overcook crocodile or it will become very tough.

Preparing shellfish

Preparing prawns

Shelling

1. Gently twist the head and pull it from the prawn’s body.
2. Using your fingers, roll off the shell from the underside with the legs still attached to the shell.
3. Gently squeeze the tail and carefully remove it. If you wish, the tail flap can remain attached to the body to enhance presentation.

Deveining

Using your fingers, strip out the black intestinal tract (vein) completely. For green (raw) prawns, you may need to use a small knife to make a shallow cut along the back before removing the intestinal tract.

Butterflying

This is usually done on green prawns. It is used to increase both the visual appeal and the apparent size of the prawns.
Cut the shelled prawn lengthwise, almost right through the flesh and along its entire length. This can be done along the stomach, which is the traditional method. Alternatively, you can cut along the back of the prawn to give a circular shape and larger appearance.
Deveining can be done at the same time as this butterfly preparation method. The tail is traditionally left on for butterfly prawns.

Preparing crabs

It is best and much easier to extract the flesh after the crab is cooked.

NOTE:
Mud and spanner crabs have a particularly hard shell that can be cracked only with strong equipment. Blue swimmer crabs have a softer shell and fragile legs and claws, and should therefore be handled more gently—use your hands to open the shell.

Claws and legs

1. Place the dead crab with the underside up.
2. Break off the claws and legs as close as possible to the shell. Do this by twisting them backwards.
3. Crack the claws with the back of a heavy knife or with crab claw crackers, taking care not to crush the meat. Large claws from the mud crab can be placed flat on a board and cracked at the highest point of the shell. Leg meat may be removed by using your fingers at the thin end to squeeze the flesh out. Alternatively, use a crab fork.

Body

1 To open the body, first lift up the abdominal flap, twist it off and discard.
2 Slip your thumb or the point of a knife under the shell from the back and gently prise the top shell off.
3 Remove the guts and gills under fast running water.
4 The picture shows the crab before and after the guts are removed.
5 Cut or crack the body section in half.
Pick out the meat with a crab fork or skewer, discarding any small pieces of membrane.
Crabs, like rocklobsters, contain a small quantity of roe and milt which can be either eaten with the crab or used in a sauce. The roe that is visible when the abdominal flap is opened has been exposed to the elements and must not be served; use only the roe from inside the body.

Preparing bugs and rocklobsters

The body flesh of bugs and rocklobsters can be accessed by splitting the animal in half or by cutting outer parts of the animal away to reveal the flesh.

Splitting in half (cooked or uncooked)

For best results, use a band saw. You can also use a cleaver or heavy-bladed knife as explained here.
1 Place the dead animal on its stomach. If it is cooked, the tail can be left curled up. Insert the point of a strong knife through the centre of the body.
2 Cut all the way through the body towards the tail with a levering action.
3 Turn the animal around. Reinsert the knife in the centre of the body and cut the head neatly in half between the eyes.
4 Gently pull apart and wash under cold running potable water to remove guts and intestinal tract. The roe and “mustard” can be used in a sauce or served with the dish.

NOTE:
These crustaceans can also be split through the stomach. If you are following this technique, use your free hand to hold the tail firmly to the body. This method may be more suitable when the shell is particularly hard, like that of a bug.

Extracting the flesh from whole

It is easier to extract flesh after cooking whole bugs and rocklobsters.
1 Behead.
2 Cut around the inside edges of the tail with food scissors.
3 Gently lever off the undershell from the head end to the tail end.
4 Remove the meat.

Bug meat can be prepared in many ways for cooking. Clockwise from right: whole; whole with tail inverted and opened; tail meat pulled through top of shell; flesh; and split in half.

Preparing freshwater crayfish

Freshwater crayfish are often served whole.

Tails

If you need only the tails, simply break the tail away from the body. The tail meat can be removed by slitting the under membrane and folding the shell apart to reveal the flesh. This can be done if the crayfish is cooked or uncooked. The claws can be used for decoration.

Halved

You can split freshwater crayfish in half lengthwise if you:
1. Place a long chopping knife or cleaver along the length of the crayfish.
2. Apply pressure to the top, thicker edge of the blade. Keep applying pressure until the blade cuts the crayfish in half.

Preparing abalone

The guts must be removed as soon as the abalone is dead.
Remove abalone flesh from the shell by sliding a short-bladed knife around the edge, between the flesh and the shell, cutting the flesh from the shell.
Pull the flesh out of the shell.
Slice the guts from the flesh and discard.

Optional:
• Using a small clean scrubbing brush or clean pot scourer, scrub the mucus off the skirt (black or green fringe) for a more attractive appearance.
• Trim the skirt.

Tenderising

Abalones often need to be tenderised before further preparation. Any, or a combination, of the following steps can be taken.

Beating
Cut the flesh horizontally into 2–5 mm slices.
Optional: Place sheets of sturdy plastic between the flesh slices.
Beat the layered abalone firmly with a smooth-surfaced mallet until the muscle relaxes and becomes supple.

Mincing
Mincing will also help tenderise the abalone but use of this method will depend on the end presentation desired.

Cooking method
The way abalone is cooked will affect its tenderness. It can be cooked for a long period at a low temperature or for a very short period at a high temperature:
• slow cook: up to six hours at about 92–95°C in water or a stock
• fast cook: sliced very thinly (1–2 mm) and stir-fried for five seconds
Alternatively, abalone can be thinly sliced and eaten raw.

Preparing mussels

1 Remove the beard and byssus from the shell by pulling sharply. Cutting off the byssal threads could leave some inside the shell and therefore is not recommended.
2 If you are opening mussels before cooking, hold the mussel on its side, insert a slender knife between the shells and cut the muscle which holds the mussel to the shell.
3 Once open, slide a knife under the mussel on one side of the shell and lift so that the meat falls into the other shell. Discard one shell.
4 With green mussels, using the blade of the knife, gently lift off the rubbery ring surrounding the mussel. This ring is chewy and rarely eaten. Replace the mussel in the shell for serving.
If the mussel has been steamed open, the ring will automatically stay behind in the shell.
Similar techniques can be used to prepare other bivalve molluscs such as pipis.

Preparing oysters

1 Lay the oyster with the flatter shell up. Insert an oyster shucker close to the hinge of the shell. Wiggle the tip of the shucker until you find the connective muscle. In Pacific and native oysters, the muscle is located on one side, a little away from the hinge. It is easier although not preferable to insert the shucker or a knife from the end of the oyster opposite the hinge.
2 Twist the knife to disconnect the muscle and prise the shell open. Discard the top (flatter) shell. Take care not to lose any of the delicious liquor.
The oyster flesh is often turned over to display its other side, which many consider to be more attractive.

Preparing scallops

Scallops are very rarely sold live.
1. Shuck the scallop by a method similar to that used for oysters.
2. Rinse the scallop.
3. Loosen the adhering muscle from the bottom shell by carefully sliding the knife under it.
4. Pull away the fringe-like membrane (skirt) and the dark intestinal organs retaining the white muscle and roe. The skirt can be used for a stock.
5. Wash thoroughly but quickly and return to a clean shell if desired.

TIP:
Never allow scallops to sit in water as the flesh absorbs liquid very easily. This dilutes the flavour and softens the texture.

Preparing cephalopods

Tenderising cephalopods

The flesh of cephalopods (such as squid, cuttlefish and octopus) must often be tenderised before cooking. This can be done by:
• gently pounding the flesh with a flat mallet;
• honeycombing by scoring in a criss-cross pattern;
• marinating in a liquid such as milk.
Overcooking will toughen the flesh. It is best cooked using:
• a slow low-heat cooking method (e.g. simmer for 1–3 hours, depending on size);
• a fast high-heat cooking method (e.g. stir-frying).

Preparing squid and cuttlefish

1 Remove head, guts, arms and tentacles from the body. Grasp the animal with one hand and reach inside the body with your other hand, using your fingers to gently pull away the arms, tentacles, head and guts.
2 Wash the tube, which will be empty except for a mucous membrane and transparent “pen”. Pull the pen and membrane away under cold running potable water.
3 Pull the skin off the tube and fins. Do this under cold running potable water, using your fingers. Discard the skin.
4 Remove the ink sac. The narrow ink sac is attached to the head and can be retained, as the ink can be used for sauces. If the sac is broken, the ink can be washed off with cold running potable water without affecting the quality of the squid or cuttlefish.
5 Cut the tentacles and arms from the head. These can be eaten, but the remains of the head which contain the guts and small hard beak are discarded.
Depending on where the tentacles and arms are cut, the beak may need to be squeezed from the fleshy rim where the tentacles and arms were connected to the head.

The tube can be left whole and stuffed, or sliced into rings. The flaps can be sliced and the tentacles and arms can be cut into bite-size pieces. The flesh can also be cut into squares and scored in a criss-cross pattern for barbecuing.
Tenderise by using the methods described above.

Preparing octopus

Octopus can be prepared using either of the methods described below. After preparation, tenderise by using the methods described on the page opposite.

TIP:
• The skin can be loosened by blanching the octopus, making peeling easier. This should be done before cooking. If it is not done correctly the octopus can be very tough, especially if large.

Preparing octopus — Method A

This method allows the octopus to remain in one piece.
Under running potable water:
1 Using a small knife, nick the membrane just inside the base of the head.
2 Turn the head inside out, through the opening at its base.
3 Pull away the guts and beak, while washing the inside of the head.
4 Turn the head back to the right way out.
5 Use your fingers to remove the skin of the head.
On a clean cutting board:
6 Cut away the skin of the head and the guts. These can be discarded although the ink sac is edible. The eyes can be cut out and discarded if not needed.

Preparing octopus — Method B

This method is simple and quick.
1 Cut out the eyes by slicing either side. The eyes can be eaten, but are usually discarded.
2 Remove the hard beak in the centre of the arms.
3 Clean out the head by removing the guts, which are discarded, and the ink sac, which can be used for sauces. Wash the head under cold running potable water.
4 Optional: Using your fingers, peel the skin from the head and, if desired, from the arms.
The head can be kept whole and stuffed, or cut into rings. The arms, depending on size, can be left whole or cut into pieces.