I've not done it, but I would try hacking it with a sharp Chinese cleaver. If that does not work, I would use a knife with a sharp serrated blade. Failing that, you may need a circular power saw. Heating the serrated knife would help. In fact, heating any knife would help, and you would not defrost that much of the fish.

Try sawing through with a sharp serrated knife. Refreezing is definitely not a good idea. Not so much a safety issue but more of a texture/quality thing.

Angela Id - We don't like to have next day replays of fish so 4oz leftover (can't be refrozen) is what I am trying to avoid.

Sammy - that knife looks the same as Amazon's for $9 instead of $26. I do recall an ad on TV for the Ginsu knife or the Ronco knife cutting through a box of frozen food but also the sole of a shoe. I don't know if I am strong enough to wield one - suggestion by Lars to heat the blade sounds logical. The circular saw is way too big but maybe my Sawzall reciprocating saw would work?

I'm with Angela; more details please?

Are these packages of fillets in 1 solid mass, or are they individually sealed in plastic?

I find 1 fillet = 1 serving for me, sometimes I can easily eat 1 1/2, & hubby can easily eat 2. The frozen fish I buy comes individually wrapped, in fact I look for that info on the package.

I have bought packages of fillets that are not individually wrapped & I whacked the package on a hard surface to break them apart, but that may not always work.

Trying to cut a frozen piece of fish seems like a possible recipe for disaster...

I would cook it all, then freeze the leftovers. I do that all the time with leftover fresh salmon or black cod. Then, when I'm ready to eat the leftovers, I put it in the refer to thaw and heat it up in the microwave on low power (20%) until it's warm. I don't try to get it too hot, as that will overcook it. Or I eat it cold on a salad.

I like leftover fish too - as long as it's not in a sauce, but I see that's of no help in this case.

I have a hacksaw with a food quality blade. Cuts anything frozen very well. Well, I haven't tried on bones. I'd think a bandsaw would be better for quadruped bones...

I suggest the following methods for cutting frozen food:

1. For not too thick (less than 3/4") frozen fish - Chinese cleaver or chef's knife, press down hard with a rocking motion.

2. For fish or meat thicker than 3/4", less than 1 1/2" - Chinese cleaver and hammer with a wood mallet.

3. For meat thicker than 1 1/2", including a whole frozen turkey - saw with an electric reciprocating saw (Sawall) with a long blade. Or a bone hand saw.

4. For large hard bone (beef leg bone) - I do it all the time on a table saw in my shop.

dcarch

What kind of blade are you using on the sawsall and table saw? I'd think you'd be getting a lot of sharp bone shards...

For Sawall cutting turkey and turkey bones, a normal tool steel blade works. For large beef bones, a carbide 10" circular blade cuts like butter. They do sell sharper carbide tipped blades.

Because you are cutting frozen meat and bones, you get very smooth clean cuts.

Here in this video, I was using an old battery saw. A better saw will cut three times faster.

dcarch

Am I missing something? 2 ounces of fish each doesn’t sound like enough for a serving. Especially for a man.

I agree.....even for 1 I would cook 8 oz....and have salmon salad the next day.

I, too, am puzzled by the serving size, unless perhaps you have had some sort of bariatric surgery, and are severely restricted to small portions?

I've never tried to cut frozen fish, either, but if I had to, I'd probably reach for my electric knife.

Rusty

louiseab - Rusty - lindac92 - etc., etc., --- We are retired - over 75 - and don't need a working person's portion of food! We are quite active for our age, we live with very little stress, and have absolutely no health issues. We do not care for the taste of leftover fish or seafood the next day so that is why we want smaller original portions and that is why I asked about cutting up fish just to have the amount we want to eat at a single time without waste or leftovers.

Younger people can sit down to a four course meal three times a day and stuff themselves until they groan. Our nutritional needs are a whole lot smaller because, though we are far from sedentary, we don't expend the amount of energy we did when we worked, raised children, tended to everyday activities, or even drove somewhere several times every day, let alone hoist bricks over our head or drive a semi-, or sit for hours at a desk under stress. An example of a meal for us is 2 oz of fish each, accompanied by vegetables and fruit, a bit of bread, then some kind of sweet, and that is all the fuel we need!

Hi everyone. I like to buy wild fishes. My favorite are sockeye (expensive), but I buy mostly frozen whole wild pacific pink salmon between CAD $ 7-10 kg. I usually use a 1 kg or a bit less fish for 4 or 5 servings. I've bought four small serrated blade knifes from dollar store. Everytime I want to cut a piece of 2" or more, I put the fish on a plastic cutting board and hold it with a dry towel and hold a knife with another hand and cut it, it takes me around 3 minutes to do that , but it makes me breathing hard lol. I'm thinking to use a long bread knife next time and see.

When I buy frozen big fish or frozen meat, often turkeys, I ask the grocer to cut them in two and wrap them up. They have always been happy to do so.

I agree with Bumblebeez. I have never had any issues with requesting those manning the meat or seafood counter to cut a prepackaged portion to size.

I would also question the serving size......2 ounces of protein is barely more than a bite or two and is far less than a recommended serving size (2 oz is equal to a large egg). I am a senior myself and eat smaller portions these days as well but 2 ounces would not be a meal for me!!

I also do not care for frozen fish and will always opt for fresh. But realize that may not be an option everywhere.

Yes, I was going to suggest that you have the market cut it. They have the band saw (name?) to cut correctly. Just have them slice it, and then you can put up at home.

Flash frozen off the boat or on the boat is often the best way to purchase fish. Fish mongers get much of their seafood frozen and thaw it to sell in their iced counter display. A good market will have a few choice items fresh.

My salmon portions are from the PacificNorth wild caught and flash frozen. Sent in dry ice. The quality is excellent. Most sold in packages of cryovaced portions. I doubt a fish monger will put a packaged portion of fish through their band saw. Maybe they have a good clever. You could ask.

Best to keep the packages in your freezer and cut when needed. The original poster is asking just that simple question. I cut my portions all the time. I might take out 2 shrimp, 2 scallops, a half portion of salmon for a chowder. We do like salmon and tuna for next day salads but not always.

Don't need a powered bandsaw for a 6-8 oz portion of fish. My sharp filet knife cuts through easily. Or something like this...a couple clamps might help hold the package in place.

"My salmon portions are from the PacificNorth wild caught and flash frozen. Sent in dry ice. The quality is excellent."

But not as excellent as fresh......if you can get it :-)

Gardengal, you live where the boats come in, lol. Growing up we lived outside Mobile, We didn't buy frozen shrimp, crab, or oysters either. My grandfather wouldn't even buy oysters in a market, because they washed them. He only bought them straight off the boat. Even in only North Alabama, I have to buy a lot frozen. For fish we rely mainly on Lake Guntersville husband caught bass. I do freeze it to use in the winter, and if thawed in cool water, it is very good.

Salmon, fresh caught Alaskan, is only available fresh in August and it is outrageously expensive.

Are you saying that 2 of you don't eat 8 oz of fish at a meal? That's 2 4 oz pieces.... quarter of a pound. I make my burgers a third of a pound.
I am in the cook it all camp and make salmon salad the next day....if you really don't eat it all.

But not as excellent as fresh......if you can get it :-)

Just a mater of opinion. Sushi grade fish is flash-frozen at extremely low temps asap out of the water/processed. Kills all present parasites that fresh caught are present in the flesh. 12 hours caught is no longer fresh. Great but no longer sushi grade.

The exact temperatures and times can be found on the FDA website, but suffice it to say that those temperatures, reaching as low as -31°F, are well below what a home freezer can reliably produce and maintain, which is why it isn't advisable to try this at home. Sushi restaurants and fish markets use what's called a "super freezer," which is exactly what it sounds like: a freezer that maintains super-cold temperatures. (Osakana's super freezer, for example, maintains a temperature of -60°F.)

"It's a paradox: The FDA will not deem a fish free from parasite hazards, and thus safe to eat raw without freezing, unless that fish is eaten raw, without being frozen, frequently enough to present sufficient evidence of its safety. To Luke Davin, the general manager of Osakana, this standard means that "deviating from [the FDA's] 'freeze it all' approach puts the burden of testing and proof on the processor." He says that most, if not all, fish markets lack the resources to exhaustively test the fish they receive for parasite hazards. The easiest solution, then, is simply to freeze everything."

Obviously cooking your fresh caught well done is not an issue...cooking will kill all parasites. You just need to trust your market. Cleaned properly and not dock sitting in warm temps.

I prefer flash frozen shrimp over fresh/traveled long distances.

Those land-locked need to know flash frozen is equally as good as a market in a warmer climate fish market purchased. Flash-frozen sushi grade is often safer/better than dock caught.

I grew up coastal. I know fresh.

View from my living room window. We fish fresh caught, DH with neighbors filleting fish on the dock.

Not arguing. Just need those confused that properly frozen can be an excellent product not needing to be considered inferior to 'off the dock' fresh.

And why would anyone even suggest/criticize anothers meal prep portions. Crazy talk. Many do not eat fish/meat/chicken at all. Our portions are often minimal at less than 2-3 ounces. Or none.