05-30-2005, 03:22 PM
The almighty TubeDude has a nice writeup about filleting fish....now I just need to find it.
I recently switched to a powered fillet knife, and it makes a HUGE difference. I used to think people were just blowing smoke by talking up their electic knives. I thought they must be too lazy to sharpen their knives, and that with a sharp blade, it would be easy to keep up. I sure was wrong. I wouldn't be surprised if I cut my fillet time in half! (pun intended) I have a cordless version, but I'm sure the corded versions work just as well, and of course they will last longer if you have a bunch of fish to fillet. My knife brand is American Angler, and I think most guys on here use that particular brand, but I'm sure some of the other brands are good to have as well.
As far as a board, I just use a plastic cutting board. Nothing fancy, but it works well for me. I've never tried the special fillet boards, so others will have to chime in here.
Those "y" bones you mention (some call them lateral bones), are pesky, and getting them out can be a chore. If the fish are bigger fish, 24" plus, you can use a needle driver or a forcep to pick each bone out. If the fish are smaller, the simplest thing to do is to make a diagonal incision on each side of the line of bones, and then peel out that small section of meat. You will loose some meat here, but it is nice to have a truly boneless fillet.
Good luck in your quest. I think one of the most important parts of filleting is practice. I'm no expert, and heck every once in a while, I butcher some poor swimmer, but it sure makes cooking and eating them more enjoyable.
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I recently switched to a powered fillet knife, and it makes a HUGE difference. I used to think people were just blowing smoke by talking up their electic knives. I thought they must be too lazy to sharpen their knives, and that with a sharp blade, it would be easy to keep up. I sure was wrong. I wouldn't be surprised if I cut my fillet time in half! (pun intended) I have a cordless version, but I'm sure the corded versions work just as well, and of course they will last longer if you have a bunch of fish to fillet. My knife brand is American Angler, and I think most guys on here use that particular brand, but I'm sure some of the other brands are good to have as well.
As far as a board, I just use a plastic cutting board. Nothing fancy, but it works well for me. I've never tried the special fillet boards, so others will have to chime in here.
Those "y" bones you mention (some call them lateral bones), are pesky, and getting them out can be a chore. If the fish are bigger fish, 24" plus, you can use a needle driver or a forcep to pick each bone out. If the fish are smaller, the simplest thing to do is to make a diagonal incision on each side of the line of bones, and then peel out that small section of meat. You will loose some meat here, but it is nice to have a truly boneless fillet.
Good luck in your quest. I think one of the most important parts of filleting is practice. I'm no expert, and heck every once in a while, I butcher some poor swimmer, but it sure makes cooking and eating them more enjoyable.
[signature]