Fillet rainbow trout

Filleting a rainbow trout is easier than it looks, and it takes only a minute once you have done it a couple of times. With a sharp fillet knife and the right technique you get two clean fillets with almost no waste. Here is the sequence step by step.

How you fillet

1. Start with a gutted, clean fish and a sharp, flexible fillet knife.
2. Cut behind the gill cover, slanting down to the backbone, without taking the head off.
3. Turn the knife and cut along the backbone from head toward tail, let the blade ride just on top of the ribs.
4. Lift the whole fillet off. Turn the fish and repeat on the other side.
5. Cut away the thin belly bones from each fillet.
6. Skin if you need to: lay the fillet skin down, hold the skin at the tail and cut between skin and flesh with the knife angled slightly toward the skin.

The knife does the work

The single most important thing is a sharp knife. A dull knife tears the flesh and gives worse fillets, so hone it before you start. Let the blade follow the backbone and the ribs so you take as much meat as possible. Feel along the finished fillet with a finger for remaining pin bones and pull them with tweezers.

A proper fillet knife with a long, flexible blade makes all the difference. Morakniv Companion Fillet (4.8★) is a Swedish stainless first choice in a length that suits rainbow trout, at a fair price. See price on Amazon

Skin or not

Keep the skin if you are going to fry or grill — it goes crisp and holds the fillet together. Skin only if the recipe asks for it. Before filleting, make sure the fish is properly gutted, see gutting fish. More ways to look after the catch under cook the catch.