Chefs-Resources focuses primarily on the basic essentials of seafood from a Chef's perspective.  Scroll down the menu on the left for an index of over 50 fresh fish varieties.  Each fish or shellfish has its own species profile page which answers the following questions: What is the flavor profile, fresh fish availability, seafood butchering yields (yield factors), sustainability, alternate names the fish goes by, various product forms, and seafood nutrition.  Links for further information are provided at the bottom of each species page.

Fish Purchasing Options

Whole Fish -or- Round Fish -or- Fish in the Round

Whole head on with viscera (guts), tail, everything intact.

Dressed Fish

Whole head on, tail, everything except that it has the viscera (guts) removed.

Pan-Dressed Fish

This is a Dressed fish which has its fins, tail, and head removed.

H&G (Headed & Gutted) Fish

Whole, head-off, gutted.

Bullets -or- Rounds

H&G with fins and tail removed.

Top Back Loin

Taken from larger fish like Tuna, Swordfish, etc, this is the back loin without the belly portion.  No bones.

Loin

This is the prime part of a fillet from a large round fish.  It is the part of the fillet which is above the spine, sometimes called the top back loin.  Loins are typically cut from fish like Tuna, Swordfish, and Marlin. 

Fillet

A fillet is an entire side of a fish with the backbone out.  Round fish yield two fillets (one from each side).  Flat fish yield 4 fillets (2 from each side).  Fillets from larger fish can be further portioned into supremes or escalopes.  They may be skin-on or skin-off.

Fletch

A Fletch is part of a large Fillet from a large flatfish.  It can be half, quarter, or less of the full fillet.

Steak or Darne

Is a thick, cross-section cut from a round fish, perpendicular to the spine. Steaks often retain part of the backbone. 

Supreme

A supreme is a prime boneless cut from a fillet or loin which is cut either as a block-cut or bias-cut, and is considered the best and choicest cut of fish. Also called a pavé, a supreme cut removes all bones in the filet. 

Tronçon

This is a steak-cut (bone-in) from a flatfish such as flounder, halibut, sole, or turbot.  In the US these are called a Steak cut.

Paupiette

A paupiette is a fillet that is stuffed and rolled.

Cravatte

A cravatte is a fillet tied into a knot.

Delice

Delice is a fillet that is neatly stuffed and folded.

Goujons

Strips 2" x ¼" from the fillets of small fish such as sole or plaice.

En Tresse

A braided or platted fillet. 

Butterfly Fillets

Used with small fish like trout, sardines, mackerel or herring, this cut is made by leaving the two fillets attached by the skin.  Thus you get the whole fish minus the head and rib bones. 

Canoe Fillets

Same as a butterfly fillet except that the head is left on.

Mobile Device users click Seafood Index for a listing of seafood species.