Filleting Fish

[dryrain]

Which way is best for filleting fish?

Is it to work from head to tail or cutting down from the spine of the fish? Or does it depend on what fish you are filleting. I was taught head to tail method but recently saw chefs doing it another way.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Watching the guys on the party boats fillet hundreds of rock cod on the way back to the dock was amazing. They grabbed the head, cut down behind the gills to the backbone, turned the knife sideways, then in one pass cut up to the tail. When they got to the tail the fillet was flipped over,as the skin was still attached at the base of the tail. The fillet knife pressed the skin flat against the board, and in one swipe the knife went between the flesh, and the skin The carcass was tossed to the gulls, and sharks tailing the boat. Took less time than it takes to read this.

To spot bones in white fish like striper , hold the fillet up to a light.

[chefj]

Different for different fish.
There are lots of step by step instructions in pictorial or video form that should help you out.
In my experience head to tail when boning and tail to head when skinning.

[bushwickgirl]

Agreed.

When skinning a side of salmon, for example, I use a very sharp flexible fish fillet knife; start by inserting the knife under the flesh at the base of the tail, just to lift about an inch of skin from the flesh, grip the loose skin with a dry towel, keep your knife flat, and zip it up through the filet, making sure not to lift the knife as to cut into or remove too much flesh.

[ipsedixit]

Ditto.

[MGZ]

I go head to tail to take the flesh off the bone. If I am removing the skin, however, I go from tail to head (direction, as the head is no longer attached) since it it easier to grasp the tail end of the skin.

[JoanN]

A few years ago I switched from head-to-tail (which my father taught me as a child) to through the back. Starting at the fattier part of the fish and cutting slowly along the bones seems to give me much more control. I end up with cleaner fillets and less waste. Try it and see what you think.

[EricMM]

I fillet small fish head to tail- a vertical cut behind the head and pectoral fins, then a horizontal slice over the ribs and along the spine to the tail. Larger fish, 5 lbs and up, are more difficult. Again, a vertical cut behind head and pectorals, then I work horizontally along the back. First, I make a superficial cut along the dorsal fins, just through the skin. Then I slide my knife down to the spine, and cut my way from head to tail. I make a vertical cut just before the tail, and slide my knife along the spine, but this time cutting downwards to free the meat. Once its 3/4s filleted, I work my knife along the ribs to free the whole piece.