How to Fillet a Whole Fish at Home Without Wasting Half of It

A flexible fillet knife 6 to 8 in (15 to 20 cm) long, sharp enough to shave paper. The flex lets the blade bend along the ribs instead of cutting through the fillet. A chef's knife works for a large fish over 5 lb (2.3 kg) but wastes more on a small one because it cannot follow the bones.

Only if you plan to cook it skin on. Scaling takes about 2 minutes under a slow tap with the back of a knife, tail to head. If you are skinning the fillets anyway, leave the scales, because the skin comes off in one piece with a long stroke and the scales go with it.

Lay the fillet skin down, hold the tail end with a pinch of salt for grip, and run the knife between skin and flesh at about a 20 degree angle, pushing the blade forward while pulling the skin back and forth. It takes one stroke of about 10 seconds on a 10 in (25 cm) fillet.

Clemson's seafood sheet gives fresh fish 3 days in a fridge at 32 to 38 F (0 to 3 C), for both lean and fatty species. Fillet it on the first day if you can; the fillets then keep for the rest of that window. Keep it on ice in a tray if your fridge runs warmer.

Yes, wrapped tightly with the air pressed out and frozen at 0 F (minus 18 C) or colder. Clemson gives lean fish such as cod and trout 6 to 8 months and fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel 2 to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or sealed in cold water for about an hour.

145 F (63 C), measured at the thickest part, which is Clemson's figure for fish. A 1 in (2.5 cm) thick fillet reaches that in about 8 to 10 minutes in a hot pan or a 400 F (200 C) oven. The flesh turns opaque and flakes at the same point.

Run a fingertip head to tail along the fillet to find them, then pull each one with fish tweezers or clean needle-nose pliers, angling the pull towards the head so the flesh does not tear. A salmon or bass fillet has 20 to 30 and the job takes about 2 minutes.

Stock. Rinse the frame, cover it with cold water, add an onion and a bay leaf, and simmer for 20 minutes, no longer, because fish stock turns bitter past 30 minutes. A 3 lb (1.4 kg) frame gives about 4 cups (1 liter) of stock, and the cheeks behind the eyes are worth picking out.

It dulls the edge faster than wood, which the board's own listing acknowledges. For a fillet knife that means honing before each fish and sharpening about monthly. The trade is worth it for raw fish because the non-porous 304 surface is what lets the board go in the dishwasher afterwards.

Because the oil has soaked into scored plastic or open wood grain. Wash in cold water first, then hot soapy water, then sanitise with the University of Maine's mix of 1/2 teaspoon of bleach per quart of water for 1 minute. A non-porous steel board in a dishwasher cycle comes out with nothing left to smell.

Yes for fish over about 3 lb (1.4 kg), where an 8 in (20 cm) chef's knife follows the spine well enough. On a 1 lb (450 g) bream the stiff blade cannot bend around the ribs and leaves about a third of the flesh on the frame. Borrow or buy a 6 in (15 cm) flexible knife for small fish.

Sharp enough to slice a sheet of paper cleanly without tearing. Hone it on a steel for 10 strokes a side before every fish, and sharpen it on a stone or pull-through about once a month if you cut on a steel or glass board, less often on wood.

Before, if it arrives whole. Cut from the vent to the head, about 4 in (10 cm) on a 2 lb (900 g) fish, scoop out the innards, rinse the cavity in cold water and dry it. Fish sold as whole at a counter are usually already gutted and scaled; ask.

Dry. Pat the skin and the board with paper towel; a wet fish slides and a wet board slides more. Rinse only the cavity, and keep a damp cloth under the board rather than water on it. Wet hands are fine, but a wet fish on steel moves about 1 in (2.5 cm) with every stroke.

Flat hand on the top of the fish, fingers away from the blade, pressing down about 2 in (5 cm) from the cut. As the fillet lifts, hold the freed flap up with that hand so you can see the spine. Never hold the fish by the tail while stroking towards it.

The side facing up when the fish lies naturally, back towards you. The second side is harder because the fish now rests on its cut face and rocks; fold a tea towel to about 1 in (2.5 cm) thick under the belly to level it before the second cut.

Cut behind the head, run the knife along the spine in two strokes per side and lift the fillet with your thumb. A 6 in (15 cm) knife is plenty. Sardines under 6 oz (170 g) can be opened by hand along the belly and the spine pulled out in one piece.

Same strokes, longer knife. An 8 to 10 in (20 to 25 cm) flexible blade rides a 6 lb (2.7 kg) salmon spine in three or four strokes a side. The board must be at least 15 in (38 cm) long or the tail hangs and tears; let the head overhang instead.

About 10 degrees down onto the bones, never up into the flesh. The blade tip should scrape the spine and ribs so lightly you hear it. A blade tilted up leaves a layer of flesh about 0.2 in (5 mm) thick on the frame, which is most of the waste.

Two options: cut through them close to the spine and trim the strip of ribs out of the fillet afterwards with one angled cut, or follow the rib curve with the knife tip. Following them saves roughly 1 oz (30 g) per fillet on a 2 lb (900 g) fish but takes a minute longer.

Roughly 40 to 50 per cent by weight for round fish and 35 to 45 per cent for flat fish, skin on. A 2 lb (900 g) sea bass gives about 14 to 16 oz (400 to 450 g) of fillet. Scraping the frame adds another 2 to 3 oz (55 to 85 g) for fishcakes.

Because the fish rocks on its cut face and the spine is now underneath, out of sight. Level the fish with a folded towel, hold the freed flap high so you can see the bones, and slow the strokes to about 3 seconds each. Most people's second side improves by the third fish.

Use the sharpest thin-bladed knife you own, keep the strokes long, and cut through the ribs rather than following them, then trim the rib strip out. Expect to lose about 10 per cent more flesh than with a 6 in (15 cm) flexible blade, and scrape the frame for it.

Yes, once fully thawed in the fridge, which takes about 12 hours for a 2 lb (900 g) fish. Clemson's rapid method is sealed in cold water for about an hour. Partly frozen flesh cuts cleanly but the fillets weep when they finish thawing; cook them the same day.

Ideally under 15 minutes. Flesh above about 40 F (4 C) softens and drags on the blade, and Clemson's storage range of 32 to 38 F (0 to 3 C) is where the fish cuts cleanest. Take it out, cut it, and put the fillets back or into the pan.

Firm flesh that springs back within 1 second when pressed, bright skin, clear eyes and a clean sea smell. Clemson's sheet lists firm-textured meat and no discoloration or unusual odour as the checks. A fish that dents and stays dented, or smells sour, is past filleting.

Yes, and it is the easier choice, because scaled skin holds the fillet together in the pan. Scale first, then fillet. A skin-on fillet about 1 in (2.5 cm) thick crisps in 4 minutes skin side down in a hot pan before a 2 minute finish on the flesh side.

Skin side down, tail end held with a pinch of coarse salt, knife at about 20 degrees, blade pushed forward while the skin is pulled back. Keep the blade against the board, not lifting into the flesh. A 10 in (25 cm) fillet takes one stroke of about 10 seconds.

No. The fin bones along the edges are the boundary of each fillet and stay on the frame. Round fish carry 20 to 30 pin bones per fillet in the front two-thirds, and they need tweezers. That is one reason a first attempt is easier on a sole or plaice than a bass.

Four, two from each side, cut from the centre line outwards. A 1 lb (450 g) plaice gives four fillets of about 2 oz (55 g) each. Some cooks take two large fillets instead by cutting across the centre bones, which is faster but leaves those bones in.

The same way, but with a colder fish, a cleaner board and more care over bones. Freeze the fish first if raw eating is the plan; home guidance in most countries is 7 days at minus 4 F (minus 20 C) for parasites. Sanitise the board before, not just after.

Cut across the fillet at about 6 oz (170 g) per portion, which is roughly 4 in (10 cm) of a bass or salmon fillet. Take the thin tail section as one piece and fold it for even cooking. Trim the belly flap if it is thinner than 0.5 in (1.3 cm).

Yes; the two cheeks behind the eyes on a 3 lb (1.4 kg) fish are coins of the best flesh on the animal, about 1 in (2.5 cm) across. Scoop them out with the knife tip before the head goes into the stock pot, and cook them for 1 minute a side in butter.

On a plate covered tightly, on the coldest shelf, and eaten within the rest of Clemson's 3 day window from purchase. For longer, wrap tightly and freeze at 0 F (minus 18 C): 6 to 8 months for lean fish, 2 to 3 months for fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel.

Better not. The texture goes watery on a second thaw and the 2 to 3 month freezer window for fatty fish has already been used once. Cook the thawed fillets within a day, then freeze the cooked fish if you must; cooked fish keeps about 3 months frozen.

Overnight in the fridge on a tray, which Clemson calls the optimal method, or sealed in plastic and submerged in cold water for about an hour. A microwave defrost setting works if you stop while the fish is icy but pliable. Never thaw on the counter.

Only with a wash and sanitise in between, and it is better not to. The University of Maine bulletin advises one board for raw animal products and another for ready-to-eat food. If one board is all you have, do the vegetables first and the fish last.

Wash in hot soapy water, then apply 1/2 teaspoon of unscented chlorine bleach per quart (about 1 liter) of water, leave 1 minute and wipe dry, which is the University of Maine's mix. Undiluted 5 per cent vinegar or 3 per cent hydrogen peroxide are the alternatives it lists.

It helps on wood and plastic, and the University of Maine lists undiluted 5 per cent white vinegar as a sanitiser. Leave it on for a few minutes, then rinse. On a non-porous steel board there is nothing for the smell to sit in, so hot soapy water or a dishwasher cycle does the job.

Yes, both sizes are listed as dishwasher safe. Rinse off the scales and any loose flesh first so they do not block the filter, then run a normal cycle. The non-porous 304 surface comes out with no fish smell, which is the main reason to use steel for this job.

No; 304 stainless resists staining in normal kitchen use and the product page says acid, salt and citrus will not pit it. Rinse within about 10 minutes so nothing dries on, then wash or dishwasher. The brushed surface develops an even matte patina over time, which is not staining.

Because the steel surface is smoother than wood, which the listing itself notes, and a dry board can slide 1 in (2.5 cm) with each stroke. Lay a damp cloth or a thin silicone mat under the board to anchor it, and dry the fish skin with paper towel. Nothing needs attaching to the board.

The Large at 15.4 x 11 in (39 x 28 cm) takes a fish up to about 3 lb (1.4 kg) with the head just over the edge. The Medium at 12 x 8 in (30.5 x 20.3 cm) suits a single sole, a mackerel or trimming fillets. A fish that overhangs the tail end tips as you cut.

The flat side. The juice groove side is for carving and resting, where the channel around the full perimeter catches what runs out; for filleting the groove gets in the way of a long stroke near the edge. Flip to the grooved side to rest a whole roasted fish.

No. The product page says no oiling, seasoning or soaking, ever, because the 304 steel is non-porous. Wash or dishwasher, dry, and put it away upright in a cabinet gap. A wood board used for fish needs oiling about monthly to keep the grain from holding the smell.

Upright in a narrow cabinet or drawer gap; the product page says the profile is slim enough for that. Dry it after washing so water spots do not form on the brushed surface, and keep it away from a wood board's oil. It can also stand behind the tap as a splashback.

Yes. Steel is harder than plastic or wood, and the product page says so plainly, so expect to hone before each fish and sharpen about every 4 weeks of regular use. The fillet knife only touches the board on the final skin cut, so the wear per fish is small.

You can, and both are non-porous, but the University of Maine bulletin notes they dull knives quickly and they are slippery when wet. Glass also chips at the edge if the knife tip hits it. Steel is at least tough enough not to chip when a 6 in (15 cm) knife skates across it.

Because you are paying for the filleting labour and the 50 to 60 per cent that goes to waste at the counter. A whole 2 lb (900 g) fish often costs less than 1 lb (450 g) of fillet from the same species, and you keep the frame and head for about 4 cups (1 liter) of stock.

Hold the frame up to the light: you should see bone with a translucent film of flesh, not a white layer. More than about 0.2 in (5 mm) of flesh anywhere along the spine means the blade was angled up. Scrape it off with a spoon rather than accepting the loss.

The visible line running head to tail down the middle of each side of a flat fish, directly over the spine. The first cut on sole or plaice runs along it, down to the bone, and each of the four fillets is cut from that line outwards to the fins in two or three strokes.

Yes, with more work. Wash in cold then hot water, scrub with coarse salt and half a lemon, then sanitise with the University of Maine's 1/2 teaspoon of bleach per quart mix for 1 minute. Dry upright. The smell fades over about a day rather than in one wash.

Scale inside a large plastic bag, or under a slow tap in the sink with the fish submerged 1 in (2.5 cm). Work tail to head with the back of a knife or a scaler. A 2 lb (900 g) bass takes about 2 minutes, and the scales rinse straight off a steel board.

Butterfly it instead: open the gutted trout along the belly, lay it skin side down, press along the spine with your thumbs, then lift the spine from the head end and the ribs come with it. Trim the fins. A 12 oz (340 g) trout takes about 3 minutes this way.

Yes, at a few dollars. Fish tweezers or clean needle-nose pliers grip the pin bone at its base so it comes out whole; kitchen tweezers snap it. A bass or salmon fillet has 20 to 30 pin bones, and pulling them towards the head keeps the flesh from tearing.

145 F (63 C) at the thickest point, Clemson's figure for fish. A 1 in (2.5 cm) fillet reaches that in about 8 to 10 minutes in a 400 F (200 C) oven or 4 to 6 minutes in a hot pan. The flesh turns opaque and separates into flakes at the same moment.

Yes, as long as the total time since purchase stays inside Clemson's 3 day fridge window. Cover the fillets tightly on a plate on the coldest shelf. Fillets lose moisture faster than a whole fish, so cutting on the day of cooking gives a slightly firmer result.

Rinse the board under cold water first; scales stick once hot water or drying sets them. On a steel board they slide off in about 30 seconds. Wipe the sink with paper towel before running hot water, and keep a sieve over the plughole so 200 scales do not block it.

Buy a 1.5 to 2 lb (680 to 900 g) round fish, which gives two 6 to 8 oz (170 to 225 g) fillets, one each. The frame and head make 4 cups (1 liter) of stock in 20 minutes, so nothing is wasted, and the whole job on a 15.4 in (39 cm) board takes about 8 minutes.

Sawing. Short back-and-forth strokes lift the blade off the bone and drop it back higher each time, leaving flesh on the frame and tearing the fillet. Aim for four to six long strokes per side of about 3 seconds each, tip riding the spine, each one slightly deeper.