Fillet a Fish

Whether you have just caught a fish yourself or prefer to buy your fish whole from the supermarket, filleting one is easier than you may think. The technique is similar no matter what type of fish you are filleting. Read on to find out what tools you need and how to create neat fillets.

Steps

Getting Ready to Fillet a Fish

  1. Choose a filleting knife. You can buy a filleting knife that is designed for the specific purpose of filleting fish; these work quite well. However, if you aren't in the market for a brand new knife, find one with a long, thin, and quite sharp blade. This will enable you to cleanly cut the fish's meat away from the bones.
    • Don't use a serrated knife to fillet a fish; it will shred the delicate meat.
    • Sharpen your knife's blade before getting to work.
  2. Set up a work area. Filleting a fish can be rather messy, so it's good to set up a workspace ahead of time. You'll need a large cutting board. You can line it with newspaper or butcher paper for easy clean up. Set out a clean plate for the fillets.
  3. Prepare the fish for filleting. Rinse it well in cold water. You can pat it dry with a paper towel if you'd like. Lay the fish horizontally on the cutting board with the bottom of the fish facing you.

Filleting a Fish

  1. Remove the head. Position the knife behind the gills and cut downward at a slightly diagonal angle (in the direction of the head) through the bone. Flip the fish over and make another diagonal cut. Remove and discard of the head.[1]
  2. Remove the tail. Place the knife down where the tail meets the body, and cut straight down through the skin and bone of the fish. Remove and discard of the tail.
  3. Insert the knife behind the gill cover. Lift it slightly away from the fish's body and insert the knife, cutting downward until the knife hits the backbone. Turn the knife so that it is aligned with the ribcage, and push it down so that the tip extends about midway down the fish's body. Now run the knife along the ribcage, separating the meat of the fish from the ribs.
  4. Push the knife through the fish's vent. This is the small hole located on the underside of the fish. Continue cutting along the bones until the fillet ends, at the tail.
  5. Pull back the fillet. Pull it away from the ribcage, and use the knife to loosen it where it is still attached. Lift the fillet away from the body and set it on the plate.
  6. Turn the fish over and insert the knife behind the gill cover. Using the same method, slice into the fish until the knife hits the backbone. Turn the knife so that it is aligned with the ribcage, push it down until the tip extends about midway down the fish's body, and run the knife along the ribcage to separate the meat from the ribs.
  7. Push the knife through the vent. Keep cutting along the bones until the fillet is cut off at the tail.
  8. Pull back the fillet. Carefully lift it from the ribcage, using the knife to loosen it where it is till attached. Lift the fillet from the bones and place it on the plate.

Finishing the Fillets

  1. Remove the pin bones. Hold the fillet steady on the plate with one hand. Use the other to take a needle-nosed plier and remove the tiny pin bones that are present in the fillets. Some fish meat is quite delicate, and could fall apart if handled roughly, so be careful when you remove the bones.
  2. Trim the fish. This is an optional step. Use the knife to remove the thin, fatty, belly portion of the fish. You can dispose of this meat or use it to make fish stock.
  3. Skin the fish. This is also an optional step, as many prefer to eat the skin. To skin the fish, hold your knife down at one end of the fillet, positioning it between the skin and the flesh. Angle the knife slightly, and slide it through the length of the entire fish, holding tightly onto the skin with your other hand. Repeat with the other fillet.



This Cooking with Kids video shows you another great way to fillet a fish. See how you can safely cook with your children.

Tips

  • Always use fresh fish for best results. The flesh should be elastic so that comes back up after you press down on it. High quality fish should not have too much of an odor.
  • Use latex gloves to keep your hands from smelling fishy.
  • Fish can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days. If you don't plan on cooking the fish within that time, then store it in your freezer.

Warnings

  • Use caution when handling a sharp knife.

Ensure the water you caught the fish at is not registered as dangerous

Things You'll Need

  • Quality cooking knife
  • Cutting board

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/techniques/how-to-fillet-fish-00412000067909/page2.html

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