Fish slice explained

A fish slice is a kitchen utensil with a wide, flat blade with holes in it, used for lifting and turning food while cooking.^[1] It may be called a slotted spatula or a turner^[2] or flipper.^[3] The utensil was originally designed as a serving piece rather than a cooking implement.

History

The fish slice was originally an item of silver service used for serving fish at a dining table and was generally made of silver or Sheffield plate rather than copper or tinned iron to avoid the possibility of affecting the taste of the fish.^[4]

The first known slices intended specifically for serving fish were mentioned in 1730. Starting with the 1740s they were often shaped as or decorated with representations of fish. By the 1770s, large numbers were manufactured. By the early 1800s, most flatware services included a fish slice. Antique examples commonly appear at auctions^[5] and are held in the collections of multiple museums. right|thumb|A modern fish sliceThe term evolved to refer to any slotted or pierced implement used for turning foods when frying them; modern versions are available in many materials such as stainless steel, nylon, and silicone and are typically undecorated and shaped as spatulas.

In collections

The Victoria and Albert Museum has an extensive collection of metalwork fish slices from Britain and the US and includes both contemporary and historical pieces. Manufacturers include functional items, for example some from Josiah Wedgwood^[6] to more sculptural contemporary works by Ane Christensen.^[7]

Similar utensils

Other examples of serving slices include those for serving cakes, pies, and other desserts; the pudding trowel or pudding trowle is a predecessor of the fish slice.

See also

• Fish knife
• Fish fork

Further reading

• Book: Antique silver servers for the dining table: style, function, foods, and social history . 1991 . Hall . 978-0-9628570-0-3 . Rabinovitch . Benton Seymour . Concord, Mass . Macapia . Paul.

Notes and References

1. Web site: fish slice. dictionary.cambridge.org. 13 April 2021. 3 May 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220503091631/https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/fish-slice. live.
2. Web site: Preston . Marguerite . The Best Spatulas (Turners) for Nonstick Pans . 8 July 2020 . 28 July 2019 . 8 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200708221118/https://www.seriouseats.com/2017/05/best-nonstick-silicone-spatulas-turners-flippers.html . live .
3. Web site: FLIPPERS . 8 July 2020 . 17 September 2019 . 25 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200925225151/https://www.cooksinfo.com/flippers . live .
4. Web site: Serving up: silver slices · V&A . 2024-01-01 . . en.
5. Book: Institute . Sterling and Francine Clark Art . English, Irish, & Scottish Silver at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute . Mass.) . Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute (Williamstown . Wees . Beth Carver . 1997 . Hudson Hills . 978-1-55595-117-7 . en . 25 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231011022536/https://books.google.com/books?id=kIdMik92xOMC&dq=fish+slice&pg=PA257 . 11 October 2023 . live.
6. Web site: Fish slice Josiah Wedgwood's factory V&A Search the Collections. 7 February 2020. V and A Collections. en. 7 February 2020. 11 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231011022534/http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O346545. live.
7. Web site: Fish slice Christensen, Ane V&A Search the Collections. 7 February 2020. V and A Collections. en. 7 February 2020. 11 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231011022532/http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O154378. live.