How to Fillet a Fish- and not die trying!

Paris Fish Market

Why should I learn to fillet a fish, do I hear you say? “It’s too messy, too much reality!”  Well, the answer is you can make fish stock from the bones, which in turn makes the most delicious sauce. Just ask Julia Child, where would her Lobster à L’Américaine be without real fish stock?

If you go to a fish market in the United States (at least the ones I’ve been to), you rarely see any whole fish. They’ve all been filleted, with the meat already trimmed and nicely packaged- you’d hardly know that what you’re buying comes from a living creature from the sea!

However, the fish markets in France are full of whole fish ready for you to fillet yourself: trout, sole, John Dory, sea bass and salmon, to name a few. Why, I’ve even bought a live lobster myself in Paris in order to make Lobster à L’Américaine. The French are famous for their delicious fish dishes and sauces and the secret is they use the fish bones to get their flavors.

Filleting a fish is not very difficult- you need to first make a cut behind the head, then run a sharp knife closely along the back bone to release the meat. You’ll need a sharp knife and special tweezers to remove the small ‘pin bones’ after filleting.

If you give filleting a try, you will then be ready to try my next recipe Fish Fillets in White Wine Sauce.

Step 1: Lay the fish flat and remove any scales by scraping the back of your knife along the fish, going towards the direction of the head.

Step 2: Use kitchen scissors to remove the fins on the top and bottom of the fish, cutting in the direction of the head.

Step 3: Starting from the belly side, make a diagonal cut along the head of the fish to the very top.

Step 4: Starting from the head end, insert your knife on the top of the backbone and begin to cut towards the tail- keep your knife very close to the bone. As you cut, gradually pull back the flesh away from the knife.

Step 5: After you have cut half way along the backbone, insert the knife all the way through to the other side, still staying on top of the bones (skeleton). Now slide the knife all the way towards the tail and release the flesh near the tail.

 Step 6: After you have released the flesh from the tail, you will notice that the flesh is still attached to the fish at the ribs. Working on top of the ribs, gradually cut the meat away from the bones, pulling the flesh away.

 You have now finished filleting the top part of the fish. One more side to go!

 

Step 7: Turn the fish over and repeat the exact same steps. Run the knife along the top of the backbone, going from the head to the tail. Pull the flesh away from the knife as you continue to cut.

Step 8: Half-way along the backbone, insert the knife through to the other side, staying on top of the bones. Then cut towards the tail, releasing the flesh from the tail. Finish by cutting the flesh away from the ribs.

 After you have finished, there should be almost no meat left on the fish! You are now ready to make some fish stock with the bones. Stay tuned for my next recipe.