01-29-2015, 05:28 AM
I started to post this in the "I hate catfish" thread but figured it would be better to make a new one.
I found an easy way of doing it that gives you two long fillets and two thick triangular chunks. It works well with both electric and manual fillet knives. Using this method I can clean a catfish up to 15 pounds in under 2 minutes, and I know people who are much faster than me.
Aside from speed, there are other advantages. This way if you're careful you can avoid puncturing the gut cavity and the fillets are a more uniform thickness so they don't end up overcooked near the tail.
I cut the gills to bleed them out when I ice them for the trip home. Once I'm ready to fillet, here's the process:
1.) Lay the fish on its side.
2.) Feel for the end of the rib cage.
3.) Slice down to the backbone just behind the ribs.
4.) Run the knife along the backbone to just before the tail, leaving a small strip of skin attached.
5.) Flip fillet over and run the knife between the skin and meat.
6.) Flip fish over and repeat the process on the other side.
If it's a bigger fish, you can also get the meat over the ribs after cutting off the side fillets.
1.) Lay the fish on its stomach.
2.) Use the point of the knife to cut down along the backbone until you hit the rib cage.
3.) Turn the knife and run it over the ribs until it meets the skin.
4.) Grab the chunk of meat and slice through the skin starting from the back and ending at the head.
5.) Pin down the narrow end of the chunk with a fork and run the knife between the skin and meat.
Trim any red or yellow meat from the surface of the fillets and you're done.
[signature]
I found an easy way of doing it that gives you two long fillets and two thick triangular chunks. It works well with both electric and manual fillet knives. Using this method I can clean a catfish up to 15 pounds in under 2 minutes, and I know people who are much faster than me.
Aside from speed, there are other advantages. This way if you're careful you can avoid puncturing the gut cavity and the fillets are a more uniform thickness so they don't end up overcooked near the tail.
I cut the gills to bleed them out when I ice them for the trip home. Once I'm ready to fillet, here's the process:
1.) Lay the fish on its side.
2.) Feel for the end of the rib cage.
3.) Slice down to the backbone just behind the ribs.
4.) Run the knife along the backbone to just before the tail, leaving a small strip of skin attached.
5.) Flip fillet over and run the knife between the skin and meat.
6.) Flip fish over and repeat the process on the other side.
If it's a bigger fish, you can also get the meat over the ribs after cutting off the side fillets.
1.) Lay the fish on its stomach.
2.) Use the point of the knife to cut down along the backbone until you hit the rib cage.
3.) Turn the knife and run it over the ribs until it meets the skin.
4.) Grab the chunk of meat and slice through the skin starting from the back and ending at the head.
5.) Pin down the narrow end of the chunk with a fork and run the knife between the skin and meat.
Trim any red or yellow meat from the surface of the fillets and you're done.
[signature]