TEXT BY P.J. PEREA
PHOTOS BY JACKIE WILLIAMSON

1. Start the fillet by slitting the area behind the gills. Take care not to puncture the internal organs.

2. Run the knife down the backbone of the fish. You'll feel the ribs with the tip of the knife.

3. Once you're past the rib bones, insert the knife through to the belly of the fish, and continue the filleting process toward the tail. Keep the knife along the backbone of the fish.

4. Continue following the backbone, and cut down the length of the fish to the tail.

5. Remove the fillet from the rib bones by raising the piece cut loose from the dorsal (back) fin side. Carefully slice and separate the meat from the rib bones until you reach the belly of the fish.

6. Cut the fillet loose just above the belly meat.

7. Place the fillet, skin side down, on a flat surface. Release a small flap of skin near the tail and hold the flap with your free hand while slicing toward the large end of the fillet. Keep the knife close to the skin of the fish while slicing.

Most filleting is complete after the first seven steps. Fish such as striped bass have red muscle that may need to be removed. Follow steps 7-9 for these species. If your fish is a buffalo or carp, continue the process through step 10.

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8. Note the mud (or red) line of meat down the center of the fillet. Remove this portion as most of the stronger, unpleasant flavor is associated with red-muscle meat.

9. Remove the mud line using a •shallow "v-shaped" cut.

10. Lightly score the remaining meat with a series of 1/8- to 1/4-inch cuts that start at the top of the fillet and stop just short of cutting completely through the meat. You'll feel light resistance and hear an audible snap as the knife cuts through tiny bones in the fillet.

 

Scoring allows hot oil to permeate the small bones and either dissolve them or cook them to a point where they are easy to eat without risk to the diner.

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