How To Fillet A Fish

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How To Fillet A Fish

 

Whether you have a fisherman in the family or got a great deal on

whole fish, here's instructions on how to fillet fish.

Difficulty: Average

 

Time Required: 15 minutes

 

Here's How:

1. Hold the fish on the cutting board with the back of the fish

toward you. Using a thin flexible knife, cut through the back of the

head to the backbone and turn the blade so it's running along the

backbone.

 

2. Hold the fish by placing your non cutting hand over the head.

Push the knife along the backbone to the tail using a sawing motion.

 

3. Pull the fillet away from the body of the fish while making

small careful cuts with the knife to retain as much flesh as possible.

 

4. Using small strokes of the knife, remove the fillet from the rib

cage, feeling your way around the bones with the knife.

 

5. Turn the fish over and repeat steps 1 through 3 on the other

side.

 

6. Using a flat bladed knife, slice a bit of the skin away from the

flesh. Cut a hole in the loosened skin so you can fit your finger

through it.

 

7. Hold the skin through the finger hole and pull the skin away

from the fillet, using the knife to hold the fillet down. Hold the

knife at a 45 degree angle.

 

8. With your fingers and a clean tweezer, feel for any pin bones

and pull them out of the fillets.

 

Tips:

1.. Make sure your knives are very sharp or you will rip and tear

the flesh.

2.. Go slowly at first. It takes practice to become an expert at

filleting a fish.

3.. Removing the fillet from the rib cage is the most difficult

step. Be very careful and go slowly.

What You Need:

a.. whole fish

b.. sharp thin bladed knife

c.. sharp flat bladed knife

d.. cutting board

e.. tweezers