How to Fillet and Skin a Fish - the Secret

Hopefully you are fortunate enough to be able to enjoy the joys and rewards of catching your own fish.

However; if this is not the case, you should be able to purchase a variety of fresh fish from your local fish market or grocer.

Begin with a fish as fresh as possible, with firm, white meat, bright, glossy eyes, and a clean, fish smell.

Scaling beforehand is not necessary.

This process will successfully remove the tender, fleshy fillets from a fish, leaving skin and bones.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sharp Fillet Knife
• Fresh, Whole Fish

1. 
    
   Split Belly to Remove Entrails

   The initial cut.
   
   If you prefer, remove the fish's head before proceeding.
   
   For ease in grasping and handling, however, you may want to leave the head attached.
   
   Using your sharp fillet knife, make a cut in the belly of the fish, cutting toward the tail.
   
   Remove all entrails and rinse the cavity.

2. 
    
   Slice Close to Backbone to Preserve all Meat

   Grasping the top half of the fish, skin side up, slice as close to the backbone as possible, all the way across the width of the fish.
   
   Pull up gently on the fillet as you cut, continuing to slice the meat from the backbone.

3. 
    
   Flip Over to Separate Flesh from Skin

   OK, NOW HERE IS THE SECRET STEP!!!
   
   When you reach the tail of the fish, DO NOT CUT ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
   
   Flip the fillet that you have cut (the skin is still attached, and the fillet is still attached to the body of the fish) so that the fillet and the body of the fish are tail to tail.
   
   Using the body of the fish to hold on to, carefully run the thin blade of the knife down the fillet, slicing, and separating the meat from the skin. ** See Photo
   
   This step is critical to keep the tender flesh intact without tearing. You don't want to waste a morsel!
   
   Move your hand as you slice, to hold the fillet in place.

4. 
    
   Continue Slicing from Tail Back Toward Head

   Continue carefully slicing, from tail back toward the head.
   
   When you have finished this step, you will have a perfect, skinless, almost boneless fillet.
   
   The skin of the fish will be left, still attached to the body and backbone.

5. 
    
   Continue Slicing the Second Fillet, As You Did the First

   Repeat steps two through four on the opposite side of the fish, rendering a second perfect fillet.

6. 
    
   Trim Away the Small Rib Bones

   Some rib bones in the under-body of the fish will still be attached on the belly edge.
   
   Cut these bones away.
   
   Your fillet should now be virtually boneless and skinless.

7. 
    
   Only Skin and Backbone Are Left

   When you are finished, you will be left with the body and backbone of the fish, with two big flaps of skin and scales still attached.
   
   Feed this carcass to the crabs if you are still at the coast, or bury beneath your rose bushes to nourish those lovelies!

Tips & Warnings

• For ease of holding the fish while filleting, do not remove the head first.
• Make sure your knife is honed to a sharpened, thin edge. A dull or too thick knife will waste meat.
• This process can be used on most any salt or freshwater fish.
• Some fish, however, like catfish, do not give up their fillets easily, and must be handled and skinned differently.
• Take care with a sharp fillet knife. The blade is extremely long and thin and can be easily mishandled. It can slice through to the bones of your hand, just as it does on a fish.

Resources

• Nature Coast Ways - A Simple Guide for the Novice Coastal Vacationer

[momose]

on 6/15/2009 Just what I want to see and hear, art2cee2! Thanks!

[art2cee2]

on 6/15/2009 I will print this and give it to my husband...last year had a problem trying to filet the fish he caught.