Articles - Boat fishing tips - how to skin ray
A guide to skinning ray fish
Des Westmore - Posted on 20 Jul 2010
First Class Fillets – Skinning Rays
I have heard plenty of tails of woe from anglers who have had the devil’s own job when it comes to cleaning and skinning rays. Admittedly they are not everyone’s cup of tea and the slime and tales of ammonia-tainted flesh puts many off.
Then of course, there is the skinning and the process of trying getting the ray to take its coat off. Nearly everyone I have spoken to on this count has made the same mistake - they have cut the wings off before skinning. This is a big ‘no-no’ as we shall now see.
Step 1
For the purposes of this feature we will use a thornback ray. This one is about 9lb in weight. A worktop has been set up outside. Rays are physically a bit big for the kitchen drainer and will slide all over the place on wet stainless steel. If you do have trouble on this count, cover your work surface with an old towel. This will give much better purchase.
Step 2
With the tip of your knife, probe along the inner edge of the wing as shown. At the middle of the ‘root’ of the wing, you will feel a hard ‘bridge’ of cartilage. This is the main connection of wing to body and will be our handhold.
Step 3
Once you have established the position of the bridge, cut forward away from it, towards the ray’s nose along the inner edge of the wing as shown.
Step 4
Now cut from the rear edge of the wing towards the bridge as shown. Do not cut through the bridge. The wing must stay attached to the body of the ray at that point.
Step 5
You must now cut through the skin at the bridge. Do not cut the flesh. Turning the blade upside down as shown is a good way to ensure only the skin is severed.
Step 6
At this point I used to always start the skinning process. However, a few seasons back, I was shown a trick by Peter Stotesbury of Southampton that makes the job even easier. With the knife, score the flesh in 1-inch-wide strips. Aim once again to only cut or score the skin, not the flesh. A good technique is to use a Stanley knife or similar that has a retractable blade. With the blade extended about 1/16 of an inch, you can precisely score the skin.
Step 7
You should by now, hopefully have something looking like this – a wing, still attached to the ray’s body and with the skin scored in strips. The wings upper side is now ready to be skinned.
Step 8
Using a pair of pincers, the strips of flesh can be peeled away starting at the inner edge. Pliers can be used but the flat-faced jaws do not grip as well as pincers. The pliers shown in the photograph are fish skinning pliers and they have a grip like a vice!
images one to eight below, clockwise
Step 9
Continue pulling the strip of skin towards the wing’s edge, where it should pull cleanly away.
Step 10
Once all the strips have been peeled away, you should have something resembling this. Note, near the eye, you can see the ray’s jaw muscle protruding through the cut flesh. More of that in a minute!
Step 11
Most rays have some spines of some sort and these often come off with the skin. Some of the larger spines on a thornback do stay attached to the flesh as shown, even after skinning. These will need to be removed with the tip of your knife.
Step 12
Skinning the white side of the ray is simply a case of turning the fish over and repeating what has been done to the upper side. Once this has been accomplished, the ‘bridge’ can be severed with the knife and the skinned wing removed.
Step 13
The jaw muscle that we mentioned earlier is what many consider to be the finest eating flesh on a ray. It probably has many local names throughout the country but in my neck of the woods is called a ‘Skate Nob’. If you ask for that in a restaurant, I can’t guarantee that is what you will get though! Anyway, this tasty piece of flesh is easily removed by cutting through the skin of the ray’s ‘cheek’ adjacent to the corner of the mouth as shown. The ‘Nob’ can then be pulled out and the connection to the jaw severed.
Step 14
To prepare the other wing just repeat what has already been done to the other side, not forgetting that there is another ‘Nob’ on the other side of the jaw.
Step 15
The freshly skinned wing has now been washed in fresh water, as has the ‘Nob’. Freezing both will get rid of any ammonia. Alternatively, a minimum of twelve hours in a refrigerator accomplishes the same thing. You will then be ready to prepare them using the recipe of your choice!
(Images 9-15 in order, clockwise)
How to fillet flat fish - click this link
How to fillet cod - click this link
Read more great boat fishing features by clicking here.
I have heard plenty of tails of woe from anglers who have had the devil’s own job when it comes to cleaning and skinning rays. Admittedly they are not everyone’s cup of tea and the slime and tales of ammonia-tainted flesh puts many off.
Then of course, there is the skinning and the process of trying getting the ray to take its coat off. Nearly everyone I have spoken to on this count has made the same mistake - they have cut the wings off before skinning. This is a big ‘no-no’ as we shall now see.
Step 1
For the purposes of this feature we will use a thornback ray. This one is about 9lb in weight. A worktop has been set up outside. Rays are physically a bit big for the kitchen drainer and will slide all over the place on wet stainless steel. If you do have trouble on this count, cover your work surface with an old towel. This will give much better purchase.
Step 2
With the tip of your knife, probe along the inner edge of the wing as shown. At the middle of the ‘root’ of the wing, you will feel a hard ‘bridge’ of cartilage. This is the main connection of wing to body and will be our handhold.
Step 3
Once you have established the position of the bridge, cut forward away from it, towards the ray’s nose along the inner edge of the wing as shown.
Step 4
Now cut from the rear edge of the wing towards the bridge as shown. Do not cut through the bridge. The wing must stay attached to the body of the ray at that point.
Step 5
You must now cut through the skin at the bridge. Do not cut the flesh. Turning the blade upside down as shown is a good way to ensure only the skin is severed.
Step 6
At this point I used to always start the skinning process. However, a few seasons back, I was shown a trick by Peter Stotesbury of Southampton that makes the job even easier. With the knife, score the flesh in 1-inch-wide strips. Aim once again to only cut or score the skin, not the flesh. A good technique is to use a Stanley knife or similar that has a retractable blade. With the blade extended about 1/16 of an inch, you can precisely score the skin.
Step 7
You should by now, hopefully have something looking like this – a wing, still attached to the ray’s body and with the skin scored in strips. The wings upper side is now ready to be skinned.
Step 8
Using a pair of pincers, the strips of flesh can be peeled away starting at the inner edge. Pliers can be used but the flat-faced jaws do not grip as well as pincers. The pliers shown in the photograph are fish skinning pliers and they have a grip like a vice!
images one to eight below, clockwise
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Step 9
Continue pulling the strip of skin towards the wing’s edge, where it should pull cleanly away.
Step 10
Once all the strips have been peeled away, you should have something resembling this. Note, near the eye, you can see the ray’s jaw muscle protruding through the cut flesh. More of that in a minute!
Step 11
Most rays have some spines of some sort and these often come off with the skin. Some of the larger spines on a thornback do stay attached to the flesh as shown, even after skinning. These will need to be removed with the tip of your knife.
Step 12
Skinning the white side of the ray is simply a case of turning the fish over and repeating what has been done to the upper side. Once this has been accomplished, the ‘bridge’ can be severed with the knife and the skinned wing removed.
Step 13
The jaw muscle that we mentioned earlier is what many consider to be the finest eating flesh on a ray. It probably has many local names throughout the country but in my neck of the woods is called a ‘Skate Nob’. If you ask for that in a restaurant, I can’t guarantee that is what you will get though! Anyway, this tasty piece of flesh is easily removed by cutting through the skin of the ray’s ‘cheek’ adjacent to the corner of the mouth as shown. The ‘Nob’ can then be pulled out and the connection to the jaw severed.
Step 14
To prepare the other wing just repeat what has already been done to the other side, not forgetting that there is another ‘Nob’ on the other side of the jaw.
Step 15
The freshly skinned wing has now been washed in fresh water, as has the ‘Nob’. Freezing both will get rid of any ammonia. Alternatively, a minimum of twelve hours in a refrigerator accomplishes the same thing. You will then be ready to prepare them using the recipe of your choice!
(Images 9-15 in order, clockwise)
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
How to fillet flat fish - click this link
How to fillet cod - click this link
Read more great boat fishing features by clicking here.
