Summer is the season for light fish dishes and seafood menus. As with all table settings, there are special rules to consider when setting the table for fish, crab or seafood, with porcelain tableware requiring dedicated foresight and consideration. The order of the menu determines the scope and scale of the place settings and cutlery: starter or soup plates are placed atop the plate for the main course, which in turn rests on a charger plate. The cutlery should follow the order of the menu from the outside to the inside – the soup spoon on the outside right, fish cutlery for the main course on the very inside. For a multi-course menu that includes a fish course, the appropriate cutlery should be integrated into the ensemble in the appropriate position.
Classic fish cutlery – the prongs of the fork are wider apart, the blade of the knife isn’t serrated and is shaped and swerved like a cake server – is primarily intended for soft fish such as trout, plaice or carp. Sea animals such as salmon, herring or eel require a serrated knife due to their firm flesh, as do fried and smoked fish. Although it has become customary to eat shellfish and crustaceans with one’s fingers, using the correct cutlery can constitute a culinary delight in its own right: narrow, skewer-like lobster, crab and snail forks help in removing the tender meat from claws, legs and shells; tongs and knives will crack and pry open any stubborn shell, while a shucking knife and fork will prepare oysters for slurping. Fine knives and spoons made of mother-of-pearl are used for caviar.