How to Fillet a Fish and a Funny Story

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Do you know how to fillet a fish? This big, beautiful trout was raised in Idaho. I used to love like fishing, or I guess I should say I like to go if it is a short term commitment. My hubby and parents are the bigger fans of fishing. They like to drag it out and then I’d become the complainer who pleaded with them to go home already!

This time, my parents purchased 100 pounds of trout locally. They smoked most of it but a couple of fish made it into my kitchen. I’m glad I didn’t have to gut this fish, which brings me to a funny story…

I want to say that this happened with my sister but it was like 8 years ago and I honestly don’t remember who it was (the experience was traumatic at the time). It was my first time gutting a bass. We had newspaper spread out all over my kitchen counters to keep the mess contained.

My sister and I wanted the fish to have a swift death so we proceeded to cut the head off. To our horror, it just kept moving it’s mouth. Being geniuses, we continued to try and kill it – the head that is (I’ll spare you the details, but it involved a knife and two panicked gals). It went on for at least an hour. We wanted to put it out of its misery. We finally resorted to tossing it in the trash so we wouldn’t have to look at it anymore. It’s funny NOW!

Let’s get down to the business of filleting a fish.

How to Fillet a Fish:

Start with:

• A Sharp Filet Knife,
• large cutting board
• and a garbage can that should be emptied immediately afterwards.
  For additional safety use a fillet board with tail clip
  for stability and fillet glove for extra grip (that would have been nice!)

1. Cut the fish down the belly to the, uhhhh, butt? Is it a butt on a fish? Let’s call it an excretion hole (snap, that doesn’t sound any better, I better stop now). Ask your husband to scrape out the gutso’s. Let me know if you were brave enough to do it yourself.

2. Chop off the head (or keep it on until later to get a better grip, whatever you prefer).

3. Insert the knife just above the center line of the back of the fish. Run the knife all the way down to the tail.

4. Continue running your knife through the fish and create your first fillet. At about the center of the spinal column, you can pull the fillet up to release some of the bones that stick up into the fillet, then continue to slice till you get to the base of the fish.

5. Flip your fillet over and this time start at the tail and work your way up. It takes some effort to get the knife through the skin, so be patient and very careful.

6. Pick out any bones that are left behind (this is the most annoying part). That’s why I didn’t take any pictures of this step. I was very busy being annoyed.

7. Cut off the fins and tail. Kitchen scissors also work well for this part. You end up with two beautiful fillets. Leave the skin on.

Proceed to Make Trout with herb butter. Yum didly um!

Any funny fishing stories you’d care to share?

How to Fillet a Fish and a Funny Story

4.60 from 5 votes

Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com

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Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 15 minutes mins

Ingredients 

• Sharp Filet Knife
• Large cutting board
• Garbage can
• Fillet board with tail clip
• Fillet glove for extra grip

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Cut the fish down the belly to the, uhhhh, butt. Scrape out the gutso's.
• Chop off the head (or keep it on until later to get a better grip, whatever you prefer).
• Insert the knife just above the center line of the back of the fish. Run the knife all the way down to the tail.
• Continue running your knife through the fish and create your first fillet. At about the center of the spinal column, you can pull the fillet up to release some of the bones that stick up into the fillet, then continue to slice till you get to the base of the fish.
• Flip your fillet over and this time start at the tail and work your way up.
• Pick out any bones that are left behind.
• Cut off the fins and tail. Leave the skin on.

• Full Nutrition Label
• Nutrition Disclosure

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: How to Fillet a Fish

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $