Instructions

1. Scale the fish if you plan on keeping the skin on. Staring at the tail, run the dull side of your knife backwards along the fish. Scraping the fish in short strokes, taking care to remove all the scales. If you plan on removing the skin, scaling isn’t necessary.

2. Cut the fish behind the gills down to the backbone. Hold the knife towards the head at an angle to keep the most meat on the fillet.

3. Slide your knife down along the fish’s spine all the way to the tail. Take care to keep the knife as close to the backbone as possible to not waste any of the meat.

4. Lay the fillet skin side down on the table. To remove the skin, slide your knife between the meat and skin and work your knife back and forth until you reach the end of the fillet.

5. Place your knife under the ribs attached to the fillet. Cut the ribs off by sliding your knife under them and cutting them out from top to bottom. Use pliers to remove any remaining rib bones.

6. Rinse the fillets with clean water to remove any debris. Place them in a freezer bag and freeze if you will be storing them, or cook them immediately to get the most from the freshly filleted perch.