by John Mcsteinberg

Created on: January 11, 2009   Last Updated: January 28, 2009

While filleting a fish can seem daunting at first, it is actually quite easy. All you need is a fillet knife, a cutting board and a towel. First you must take your fish and clean and rinse it. Once your fish is ready place it on the cutting board, then if you wish you can wrap a towel around the hand you will be holding the fish with. This is for safety in case you slip.

After you have done this, grab the fishes head with the hand you have wrapped in a towel. With you other hand cut at a 45 degree angle along the spine of the fish all the way from the tail to the neck. Once you have done this, repeat with the other side of the fish. Then discard the head and body of the fish. Keeping the fillets, place them on the cutting board and cut the rib bones out. If you wish you can cut the skin off the fish as well by placing the knife between the skin and meat and cutting along until they are separated.

Now that you have your fresh fish fillets there are many ways you can prepare them. If you enjoy fried fish you can put some vegetable oil in a pan on medium heat. Once that is hot, coat the fillets with some egg. Often you can find an assortment of different ready made fish fry coating at your grocery store. But if you are adventurous you can take some flour, salt, pepper and any other spices you prefer and dip the egg coated fish in it. Then take the fish and place it in the pan with oil. Let fish fry for 1 or 2 minutes, then flip over and do the other side. Once fish is golden brown remove it from oil, and let it cool for a few minutes before serving.

If you prefer grilled fish, take the fish and season it with salt and pepper or what ever seasonings you prefer. Let your grill warm up about 15-20 minutes, then lightly coat the grill with oil to prevent the fish from sticking. After that take your fish and place it on the grill. Allow it to cook 2 or 3 minutes and check the underside to see if it has lost its translucence. Once it has, flip it over and repeat on other side. Remove from grill and allow to set a few minutes before serving.

Baked fish is another popular choice. It is probably the simplest and healthiest of all the choices. Preheat your oven to about 400 degrees, then take a sheet pan and lay aluminum foil on it. Season the fish fillets with your choice of salt pepper and spices. Many people prefer to drizzle lemon juice over their fillets. Then place the fish on the sheet pan into the oven for about 15 minutes, once done remove and serve.

With just a little patience and effort anyone can fillet and cook mouth watering fish fillets in their own home. Not only is it healthy but it saves you money over buying already prepared fish. And the satisfaction you will get from preparing and cooking your own fish fillets will have you holding your head up high for weeks. Alright maybe not that far, but it is still a pretty good feeling.

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