Filleting Bluegill
Some people like the flavor of bluegill prepared with the bones and tail intact, but most people prefer blue gill cut into fillets so they don't have to deal with the inconvenience of picking bones. People use different methods to fillet bluegill. One way has been used for at least 70 years.
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Things You'll Need
- Plastic bag
- Cutting board
- Newspaper
- Sharp fillet knife
- Bucket of water
- Bread pan
Instructions
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1
Put your bluegill in a plastic bag in the freezer for 40 minutes to make it stiff, but not frozen. This will make the fish easier to cut.
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2
Set a cutting board on a table or other work surface so your knife blade is parallel to the fish and you don't have to cut the fish with the blade angled down. Cover the cutting board with a layer of newspaper.
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3
Using a sharp fillet knife with a flexible blade, cut behind the side fin down to the backbone, angling the cut toward the top of the blue gill's head. Keep your knife blade up to avoid cutting into the backbone.
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4
Turn the knife blade toward the tail. Cut along the side of the backbone on top of the back belly fins. Let the knife scrape against the ribs, but don't cut them.
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5
With the fillet just attached to to the tail, flip it away from the fish. Hold the bluegill and cut between the meat and skin as close to the skin as possible.
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6
Turn the bluegill over and fillet the other side using the same method. Place the fillet in a bucket of clean water and wrap the remains of the fish in the top piece of newspaper. Put them in the garbage. Now you have a clean surface to fillet your next fish.
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Use this method with the rest of your bluegill. If you're not eating them right away, place them in a bread pan, cover them with water and freeze them. This will allow you to thaw your bluegill quickly and easily.
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