Dining Etiquette
Fishing Around with Knives
At the moment, my wife and I are having dinner at a beautiful restaurant in Hawaii and we have an etiquette question for you. Is this a butter-like knife to the right of my plate? We have a butter knife on the bread plate to the left and find it puzzling to have two of the same funny looking knives at a place setting.
Aloha Savvy Diner,
What lies to the right of your plate is a Fish Knife, a type of knife not often seen in restaurants these days. Wow, I envy you! You know how I love fine dining!
So, how do you use this fancy fish knife…that is what you really want to know, right? Take notice of the photo above and look for the notch and scallop carving on the knife. This artistic edging serves as extra help for lifting away bones when not already performed by the chef.
Practice makes perfect (and it gives you confidence too) so learn to fillet your own fish. Here are the steps:
- Starting at the neck, insert the tip of the knife underneath the backbone.
- Slide the knife down to the tail, underneath the backbone all the way.
- Lift off gently and place on your plate or the extra plate provided by your server.
My friend Jennifer gave me an antique fish knife for my birthday; a very fitting gift for a dining etiquette junkie like me! If you want to learn how to use the fish knife in person, join me September 19, 2011 for our “Family Dining Etiquette: Formal Dining at its Finest” program in Exeter, CA. Quickly register for this sell-out program and come learn just how easy it is!