Fillet Fantastic
For both the
sportsman and cook, it pays to fil
let your own fish. Now see how
easy it is. Remember, the knife
should be held as parallel to the
cutting board as possible and
the sharper the knife, the safer and
easier it is to fillet For a flat Ash.
flounder, or fluke, a long, thin
blade is preferable. You need not
flounder at the cutting board, for
proper filleting is no fluke.
1. With a very sharp filleting
knife, make a diagonal crosscut
from behind the soft belly area to
behind the head.
2. Insort the knife blade in the
fish and slide it toward the tail
along the ridge of the backbone.
Then, in a sawing motion, work
the knife blade from the backbone
to the outer fin section, i.e., closer
to the cutter. This action will free
one-half of the fillet
3. Then expose the backbone
and cut toward the opposite fin
section along the length of the
fish.
V
4. This frees the whole fillet
NOTE: These steps should be
repeated for the other side of the
fish.
5,6, 7. To skin the fillet cut
through the meat about VA inches
from the tail end, taking care to
stop at the skin. Hold the meat
How To Shuck A Clam
Introduction. The key to open
ing a hard clam, Mercenaria mer
cenaria, easily is to chill it thor
oughly in order to shock it into
muscle relaxation. This can be
done by putting the clams in the
freezer for about forty-five
minutes, immersing them in a
mixture of ice, salt, and water for
about one hour, or by storing them
in crushed ice indefinitely. For
cleaner preparation and serving,
clams should be washed or
scrubbed. There arc four market
sizes of clams: chowders are the
largest, followed by cheirystones,
top necks, and little necks. To
open, clams, a sturdy-bladed
knife, not overly shaip nor more
than four inches in length, is
necessary.
1. Grasp clam firmly in hollow
of hand, with the indentation of
the shell in the direction of the
thumb. Place the knife blade
between the halves of the shell.
Hold the back of the knife blade
firmly in the middle of the fingers.
Squeeze the hand and the knife
firmly behind the cut With a saw
ing motion, with the blade at about
a 35-dcgrcc angle, the knife is
worked away from the cutter.
will enter.
2. With the blade in place, sever
one of the adductor muscles, then
twist the handle until the shell
pops.
3. Move the blade around the
inside of the top shell and sever
the other muscle. The top shell can
then be easily removed.
4. Run the blade under the elam
meat to separate it from the bot
tom shell.
NOTE: The clam can be dipped
in cocktail sauce or “slurped”
Make Lemonade
If Life Gives Lemons
SCRANTON (Lackawanna
Co.) Penn State Cooperative
Extension of Lackawanna and
Wyoming Counties is sponsoring
an educational program on Thurs
day, May 14, from 9:45 a.m.- 2:00
p.m. at Allied Services in Scran
ton. The event, “If Life’s A
Lemon, Make Lemon "aid", is
Throughout the skinning proce
dure, the skin can be moved from
side to side and the meat can be
folded forward to facilitate
separation.
UnoiHr Farming, Saturday, May 16, 1992-817
With Ease
right out of the shell. Appropriate
condiments can be used according
to individual tastes lemon
juice, a drop of Tabasco, or
horseradish and catsup.
Atlantic City Steamed Clams.
Place 100 Top Necks in a very
large pot. Add 8 oz. Water. Over
the top of the clams generously
sprinkle fresh parsley, crushed red
pepper, and some salt. Then pour
olive oil over all to soak the top
layer well. Steam until open. Try
the broth, tool
open to the public. Reservations
are $9, which includes a hot buffet
lunch.
The program will feature Dr.
Barbara Davis, associate professor
in the College of Agricultural Sci
ences at Penn State University.
Dr. Davis will present a program,
“Leaving The Cocoon To Fly Like
A Butterfly” which discusses how
to cope with loss and ways to
overcome it. Maryrita Stuckart,
director of volunteer services at
the Voluntary Action Center, will
discuss the benefits of helping
others in her presentation. “Vol
unteering: Everybody Wins!”
Also, Joe Dobbs and Ruth Judd
from the Scranton Public Theater
will perform "I’m Herbert” and
“It’s A Sin To Tell A Lie.” two
short sketches about keeping the
kid in you while growing older.
For more information or to
make reservation, call the Penn
State Cooperative Extension
office at (717) 963-6842 by May