How to Perfectly Filet a Fish

Steps

Prep and Trimming

1. 1

   Prepare your workspace by placing a damp towel underneath your cutting board to prevent it from slipping. Keep a second damp towel nearby to wipe your knife blade frequently.

2. 2

   Using kitchen scissors, snip off the top (dorsal) and bottom (pelvic/anal) fins from the fish.

3. 3

   Make a shallow cut just above the tail, then cut straight through the skin and flesh at the tail base.

4. 4

   Scrape your knife underneath the bottom fins near the head. Cut straight down towards the center of the spine. Once you reach the halfway point, curve your blade and cut through the rest of the fish near the head to save as much meat as possible.

Filleting

5. 5

   Position your knife just above the spine at the head end. Angle the blade slightly downwards toward the bone to protect the fillet and ensure you stay close to the spine.

6. 6

   Using long, even strokes, cut from the top to the bottom of the fillet along the spine. You should hear the knife clicking against the spine as you cut. Stop when you reach the center of the fish.

7. 7

   Turn the fish to the belly side. Use your fingers to lift the belly flap to create space. Continue cutting just above the spine until you have cut all the way through to the tail.

8. 8

   Flip the fish over to the uncut side and repeat the process: cut above the spine from head to tail, then flip to the belly side and cut until the second fillet releases.

9. 9

   If the fillet is still attached at certain points, angle the knife downwards to finish the cut, or use scissors to snip through the remaining attachments.

Finishing the Fillets

10. 10

    To remove the belly bones from the fillets, place your knife barely above the bones and cut from top to bottom, following the curve of the bones to the edge of the fillet.

11. 11

    Locate the pin bones along the centerline of the fillet. Using two fingers to gently press the flesh, use fish tweezers to pull the bones out in the direction they are pointing. Feel against the grain of the fish to ensure all bones are removed.