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[No_way]

I have a simple tip for people who like to fillet fish:

Resist the urge to fillet the fish and get it into the freezer right away when you come home.  If you put the fish (it doesn't matter what kind) into the fridge for a while before you fillet it the flesh will be much firmer.  This make it easier to fillet cleanly and the fillets will be a lot nicer.  Plus, even though it's dead, it still bruises when pressed and bent.  If it's well chilled then it will bruise less and hold together better when cooked.

[dennisK]

my fridge cannot hold a 20 pound salmon.

[No_way]

my fridge cannot hold a 20 pound salmon.

Then put it in the deep freezer for 20mins. 

[BwiBwi]

There is a small roll of fish bone about 30 degrees away from spine. How do  you get rid of that? It's annoying bone picking when using the fillets for sashimi. 

[No_way]

There is a small roll of fish bone about 30 degrees away from spine. How do  you get rid of that? It's annoying bone picking when using the fillets for sashimi. 

Those are normally called the "Pin Bones".  The way that the pros do it is to lay the fillet out and run a fingertip against the angle of those bones.  When you feel a bone use a pair of forceps or needlenose pliers to yank the bone out.  It may seem like a lot of trouble but after you get the hang of it it doesn't take that long and having a completely boneless fillet is well worth the few extra minutes.

Unfortunately there is no "trick" or "easy way", that's simply how it is done.  If you really want you could cut out a thin strip of meat that contains those bones, but that's really wasteful.

[BwiBwi]

Should it be done fresh (before freezing) or sort of frozen?

[No_way]

Should it be done fresh (before freezing) or sort of frozen?

The fish should always be chilled, but not frozen.

[BwiBwi]

Okay thank you I'll give it a try. Of course provided I catch a fish first 

[dennisK]

my fridge cannot hold a 20 pound salmon.

Then put it in the deep freezer for 20mins. 

but my freezer is full of ice cream!!

lol

for the best fillet tutorial i have seen online barring a video - check this link out:

http://www.piscatorialpursuits.com/resourcecenter/fillet.htm

[caster]

Thanks for the info, the pictures will help and yes, practice always pays off.

[No_way]

Thanks for the info, the pictures will help and yes, practice always pays off.

No problem.  Keep the fish cold, have a very sharp knife, and take your time.

PS:  watch your fingers!   

[Fish Assassin]

my fridge cannot hold a 20 pound salmon.

Get yourself a bigger fridge or don't catch 20 lb. salmon.

[Jonny 5]

my fridge cannot hold a 20 pound salmon.

Get yourself a bigger fridge or don't catch 20 lb. salmon.

Ever try to fillet a pike?  I will never eat pike again  but I remember that it had lateral bones shaped like a Y so it took a while to figure out how to cut em out, and I lost a lot of fish (it was gross anyways).

5 out