SHORTLY after finishing school at Nelson Bay High, Darren “Doddy” Dodd found work on the Nelson Bay waterfront.
As a 16-year-old, Doddy started preparing seafood by opening oysters, cooking crabs and lobsters and filleting fish.
It has been recognised, over the past 38 years, that Doddy has developed into a master of his craft of presenting filleted fish on the shelves.
What is the secret to fish preparation?
“A sharp knife and firm fresh fish,” Doddy said.
“Commence filleting from just behind the head and run the knife as close to the backbone as possible to prevent any waste then flip him over and do exactly the same on the other side.
“Remove the rib cage bones and, in some cases such as Luderick, skin the fish.
“For other fish, like Snapper, Bream and Whiting, I prefer to leave the skin on the fish.”
I have watched Doddy working with fish for all of those 38 years and it is obvious that he still takes great pride in his art. What are the easiest fish to prepare?
“Snapper, Bream and Luderick are simple as basically they are the same shape,” Doddy said.
“It gets more difficult when working on odd shaped fish like John Dory.
“Butterflying garfish can be a challenge until you work out the angles and lines to cut.
“Treated correctly, garfish can be better than a prawn cutlet.
“Experience and a steady hand are vital in this game although I must admit to cutting myself on a few occasions.”
By John ‘Stinker’ CLARKE
You can help your local paper.
Make a small once-off, or (if you can) a regular donation.
We are an independent family owned business and our newspapers are free to collect and our news stories are free online.
Help support us into the future.
