HOW TO FILLET A FISH

A sharp knife is essential to make this process work. While most of us buy our fish already filleted, there will no doubt be proud fisherfolk out there keen to fillet their own catches. Here by the steps :

1. Insert the knife on a diagonal at the end of the gill plate (where the scales end). Hold the head of the fish firmly and work by feel until you hit the mid or centre bone.

2. Turn the knife around, without the tip of it going past the centre line. Cut along until about halfway down the fish, letting the backbone be your guide.

3. Once past the rib cage, slide the knife across under the flesh, and keep going until the knife pops out right down at the tail.

4. Turn the knife back towards to the head of the fish, letting it rest on the rib cage, and work back up to where you originally started.

5. To remove the skin from the fillet, turn it skin-side down on a board. Push the knife along the skin, wiggling a little as you go.

6. Remove the pin bones, which you can feel with your fingers, from the thick end of the fillet by making a V-shaped cut as shown. Then turn the fish over and fillet the other side.