How to Fillet Frozen Fish
Not every fish is created the same. Some fish are large, some are small, and some are in between. Every fish worth eating should be filleted with a similar approach. Filleting a fish is not always an easy task, but freezing the whole fish first will help minimize damage to the fillet and the more you do it, the better you'll get. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Whole fish with its head kept on
- Freezer
- Flat cutting surface
- Sharp fillet knife
- Mesh glove (optional)
Instructions
-
Filleting a frozen fish
-
1
Go to your local supermarket or fish market and pick out a fresh whole fish with the head still on. Three important characteristics distinguish a fresh fish from a fish that has been sitting in the case for too long. The fish's scales should have a shiny, vibrant color. The fish's eyes should be clear (when the eyes look cloudy, it means it is old). The fish should have virtually no smell when brought close to the nostrils.
-
2
Bring the fish home and place it in your freezer for at least eight hours or until it is completely frozen. Make sure the fish sits in the freezer flat with nothing on it and no bends in the flesh.
-
-
3
Once the fish is completely frozen, remove it from the freezer and place it flesh side down on your flat cutting surface. Make sure you have a knife sharp enough to cut through the frozen flesh of the fish. The knife should be long, but not too wide or bulky.
-
4
Place the knife at the tail end of the fish and cut an incision down to the bone. Place the middle part of the knife in that incision and begin gliding the knife along the vertebrae, making sure to keep as close to the bone as possible. The knife should move fairly easily through the frozen flesh. Make sure not to be too aggressive cutting the fish, because the fillet will be ruined. Once your knife has reached the gills, cut diagonally along the natural contour of the fish down to the vertebrae. The entire fillet should come off with ease. There will be a piece of fat with bones at the end of the fillet. Simply slice that off and discard or save it for fish stock.
-
5
Repeat Step 4 on the other side of the fish. Follow these steps and you should have two quality fish fillets.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Freezing the fish can make filleting the fish easier, but the same steps can be followed with a fresh fish.
Filleting fish can be extremely dangerous, because you are cutting towards your non-dominant hand and a slip of the knife could result in injury. Mesh gloves can be found at most kitchen accessory stores and will help to prevent potential injuries when using sharp knives.
