02-05-2007, 06:55 PM
[cool][#0000ff]I have been filleting fish recreationally and commercially for at least 4 decades. I have cut a lot of guts. Never noticed any problems with the fillets. Of course a big part of my routine is to either rinse off the fillets as I do them, or drop them in a big bowl of ice water as I finish them. That does two things...rinses off the blood and other bodily fluids and quick chills the fillets.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Filleting is best done while the fish are either still alive or shortly thereafter. I usually do mine right out of the live basket. No PETA pain concerns with this kid. I want quality fish flesh and I don't give a rat's patootie about how the fish feel about it. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]DO NOT fillet fish while they are stiffened with rigor mortis or when they are partially or completely frozen. A big part of GOOD filleting depends upon your feel with the knife blade and being able to guide the edge over the tops of the bones at the right angle. Cutting at the wrong angles "makes little ones out of big ones."[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I prefer an electric fillet knife, but skill with a regular SHARP blade will let you fillet just as fast and effectively. Both require that you have good instruction and a lot of practice to be able to whack out a bunch of clean fillets, leaving little waste. It is all a matter of correctly applied force in the right direction...letting the knife do the cutting. A dull knife or poor technique smashes the fragile flesh of some fish...like trout...and turns it to mush.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Give me a call next time you have some trout to fillet and I will give you a personal demo. That should help explain it better tan a lot of words and pictures.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]PS...about the only fish I sometimes "eviscerate" before filleting are large catfish. They have a lot of guts and filleting them is like butchering a hog. They also have a very large gall bladder and that bile inside is nasty stuff. It is what you do NOT want on your fish fillets. It is tough to rinse off so if you have a big fish with a big gall bladder, that is what you might wanna remove first. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Filleting is best done while the fish are either still alive or shortly thereafter. I usually do mine right out of the live basket. No PETA pain concerns with this kid. I want quality fish flesh and I don't give a rat's patootie about how the fish feel about it. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]DO NOT fillet fish while they are stiffened with rigor mortis or when they are partially or completely frozen. A big part of GOOD filleting depends upon your feel with the knife blade and being able to guide the edge over the tops of the bones at the right angle. Cutting at the wrong angles "makes little ones out of big ones."[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I prefer an electric fillet knife, but skill with a regular SHARP blade will let you fillet just as fast and effectively. Both require that you have good instruction and a lot of practice to be able to whack out a bunch of clean fillets, leaving little waste. It is all a matter of correctly applied force in the right direction...letting the knife do the cutting. A dull knife or poor technique smashes the fragile flesh of some fish...like trout...and turns it to mush.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Give me a call next time you have some trout to fillet and I will give you a personal demo. That should help explain it better tan a lot of words and pictures.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]PS...about the only fish I sometimes "eviscerate" before filleting are large catfish. They have a lot of guts and filleting them is like butchering a hog. They also have a very large gall bladder and that bile inside is nasty stuff. It is what you do NOT want on your fish fillets. It is tough to rinse off so if you have a big fish with a big gall bladder, that is what you might wanna remove first. [/#0000ff]
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