How do I fillet a fish?

Answer 1

Here's How:
Catch a fish big enough to eat!
Lay fish flat on a board or table about waist high
Sharpen knife or get an electric knife
Cut down behind gills to backbone
Turn knife and cut down backbone, stopping just before cutting through skin at tail
Flip filet over, skin side down
Cut between meat and skin
Turn fish over, repeat process on other side of fish
Lay filet flat, cut rib cage away from rest of filet
Rinse filets, cook, eat
Tips:
Soak filets in mild saltwater over night - removes some of the fish taste, makes a milder flavor
http://fishing.about.com/cs/beginnersinstruct/ht/htfilet.htm

How To Filet Trout or Other Fish
http://www.lafishmag.com/HowToFilet.html

Filleting roundfish
http://www.geocities.com/tony2kuk/fillet.html
Filleting flatfish
http://www.geocities.com/tony2kuk/fillet.html
Preparing fish to cook whole
http://www.geocities.com/tony2kuk/fillet.html
Eels
http://www.geocities.com/tony2kuk/fillet.html

Answer 2

1. First scale both sides of the fish. If you have a fish scaler, use that. If not, then starting from the tail, and holding the blade of a long knife perpendicular to the skin of the fish, slide the knife toward the head - the scales will fly off. You will have to make a few passes to complete the job. You are done when you don't feel anymore resistance from the scales

2. Take your knife and cut vertically into the fish behind the gills, straight down to the backbone.

3. Lay the knife almost flat near the tail and start cutting through the flesh. You need to angle the knife down enough to scrape the blade along the fish's backbone, to get as thick a fillet as you can. Cut forward to the cut you made in step 2. Cut as necessary to free the fillet from the fish.

4. Repeat step 3 for other side of fish.

You will not get it perfect the first time, it takes practice. Work slowly, until you get the hang of it.

Good eating!

Answer 3

If you have a fish like a flounder or a snapper you want to start with a razor sharp knife grab the fish by the tail and use your knife and scale the fish from tail to the head to remove the scales, then with your knife start right behind the gill and cut untill you reach the bones but don't cut through it, you want to continue to cut along the bones but make sure your knife bounces off of the rib cage, when you no longer feel the bone cut through to the end of the fish until you reach the tail, you should end up with one fillet, then flip your fish over and repeat you should end up with the head removed, and two fillets. Cut the tails off and that is how you fillet a fish. Good luck!

Answer 4

Assume you do not have a flounder or other type of flat fish, the following convention applies:

lay the fish on a cutting board.
holding the head, make your first cut behind the gill plate till you reach the spine.
turn knife 90 degrees and proceed to cut along the spine from head to tail.
when you reach the tail, do not cut all the way. instead leave the skin connected.
flip the meat over onto the board and proceed to cut between the skin and fish meat from tail to head. this will yield a skinless fillet. repeat on the other side of the fish. you can cut away the belly section after since most of the toxins are stored in the fat near the belly.

Answer 5

1.Cut head off
2.Take fillet knife and start at the tail end of the fish. Depending on how sharp your knife is you may have to cut down until you feel the blade up against the spine of the fish.
3.With the blade parallel to the cutting board run the blade along the spine making sure no to forget the meat on the underside of the fish
4.When you reach the belly hold it up to get under it don’t try to remove the belly bones at this time as you’ll end up losing more meat than bones; it can be done but it takes lots of practice (you can remove the belly bones after if you prefer as it is easier)
5.Repeat on other side.

Answer 6

I have fillet a lot of fish but never cut the head off. also the easiest way to scale a fish is with a spoon

Answer 7

first of all make sure u have a sharp knife and it really depends on what kind of fish but ill give u a basic lesson. lay the fish on one side then where the side fin is cut down until you feel the backbone and stop, then turn you knife and slide it down the backbone of the fish the the tail, once you have don that just lift if up and slice the meat until you end up with you fillet.

Answer 8

depends on the fish but you cut off the head and then lay it on it's side and slice the meat off trying to miss the bones...if you have ever cleaned a fish you know what i mean do that to both sides and you can take the skin off or cook it with it on it doesnt matter just dont eat the scales

Answer 9

lay the fish on the side cut next to the bone

Answer 10

clean and gut fish. chop off head. lay fish on cutting surface. slide knife along top side of spine. flip over and repeat