A fish fillet, from the French word () meaning a ''thread'' or ''strip'', is the

flesh Flesh is any aggregation of soft tissues of an organism. Various multicellular organisms have soft tissues that may be called "flesh". In mammals, including humans, ''flesh'' encompasses muscles, fats and other loose connective tissues, but ...

of a

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of ...

which has been cut or sliced away from the bone by cutting lengthwise along one side of the fish parallel to the backbone. In preparation for filleting, any

scales Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number w ...

on the fish should be removed. The contents of the stomach also need careful detaching from the fillet. Because fish fillets do not contain the larger bones running along the vertebrae, they are often said to be "boneless". However, some species, such as the common carp, have smaller intramuscular bones called ''pins'' within the fillet. The skin present on one side may or may not be stripped from the fillet. Butterfly fillets can be produced by cutting the fillets on each side in such a way that they are held together by the flesh and skin of the belly.Fin Fish
Purdue University. Accessed 18 March 2011. Fish fillets can be contrasted with

fish steak A fish steak, alternatively known as a fish cutlet, is a cut of fish which is cut perpendicular to the spine and can either include the bones or be boneless. Fish steaks can be contrasted with fish fillets, which are cut parallel to either side ...

s (also known as fish cutlets), which are cut perpendicular to the spine and include the larger bones. __TOC__

Filleting

Fish fillets comprise the flesh of the fish, which is the skeletal muscles and fat as opposed to the bones and

organs In biology, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in a structural unit to serve a common function. In the hierarchy of life, an organ lies between tissue and an organ system. Tissues are formed from same type cells to act together in a f ...

. Fillets are usually obtained by slicing the fish parallel to the spine, rather than perpendicular to the spine as is the case with

steak A steak is a thick cut of meat generally sliced across the muscle fibers, sometimes including a bone. It is normally grilled or fried. Steak can be diced, cooked in sauce, such as in steak and kidney pie, or minced and formed into patti ...

s. The remaining bones with the attached flesh is called the "frame", and is often used to make fish stock. As opposed to whole fish or fish steaks, fillets do not contain the fish's backbone; they yield less flesh, but are easier to eat. Thursday, April 23, 2020 Special cut fillets are taken from solid large blocks; these include a "natural" cut fillet, wedge, rhombus or tail shape. Fillets may be skinless or have skin on; pinbones may or may not be removed.Glossary
''About Seafood''. Retrieved 15 April 2012. A ''fletch'' is a large boneless fillet of

halibut Halibut is the common name for three flatfish in the genera '' Hippoglossus'' and '' Reinhardtius'' from the family of right-eye flounders and, in some regions, and less commonly, other species of large flatfish. The word is derived from ''h ...

, swordfish or

tuna A tuna is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae ( mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna (max len ...

. There are several ways to cut a fish fillet: * Cutlet: obtained by slicing from behind the head of the fish, round the belly and tapering towards the tail. The fish is then turned and the process repeated on the other side to produce a double fillet * Single: more complex than the cutlet, produces two separate fillets, one from each side of the fish. * "J" Cut: produced in the same way as a single fillet but the pin bones are removed by cutting a "J" shape from the fillet File:Le Fileteur de poisson.jpg, Filleting fish in the Ivory Coast File:Filleting-01.jpg, Filleting a fish, demonstration File:Fish on the Quay, Aberaeron - geograph.org.uk - 1625065.jpg, Fishmonger filleting a

pollock Pollock or pollack (pronounced ) is the common name used for either of the two species of North Atlantic marine fish in the genus ''Pollachius''. '' Pollachius pollachius'' is referred to as pollock in North America, Ireland and the United Kingd ...

File:Hake fillet.jpg, Filleting

hake The term hake refers to fish in the: * Family Merlucciidae of northern and southern oceans * Family Phycidae (sometimes considered the subfamily Phycinae in the family Gadidae) of the northern oceans Hake Hake is in the same taxonomic order ( ...

on a production line File:Zabars fish.jpg, Another filleting production line File:Oroshi hocho knives.jpg, Knives used to fillet

at the

Tsukiji fish market is a major tourist attraction for both domestic and overseas visitors in Tokyo. The area contains retail markets, restaurants, and associated restaurant supply stores. Before 2018, it was the largest wholesale fish and seafood market in the wor ...

Marketing

File:Halibut and salmon fillets.jpg, Halibut fillet (a whitefish) on top of a salmon fillet (a

pelagic fish Pelagic fish live in the pelagic zone of ocean or lake waters—being neither close to the bottom nor near the shore—in contrast with demersal fish that do live on or near the bottom, and reef fish that are associated with coral re ...

) File:HK Westwood Wellcome Shop packaged iced Seafood for Hot pot 鯇魚片 Grass Carp April-2012.jpg, Packed and iced fillets of

grass carp The grass carp (''Ctenopharyngodon idella'') is a species of large herbivorous freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae, native to the Pacific Far East, with a native range stretching from northern Vietnam to the Amur River on the Sino-Russi ...

File:Perche du nil filets artlibre jnl.jpg, Filleted

Nile perch The Nile perch (''Lates niloticus''), also known as the African snook, Goliath perch, African barramundi , Goliath barramundi, Giant lates or the Victoria perch, is a species of freshwater fish in family Latidae of order Perciformes. It is wi ...

at a fishmarket

Eating

File:Pan-fried Red Snapper Fillet.jpg, Pan-fried

red snapper Red snapper is a common name of several fish species. It may refer to: * Several species from the genus ''Lutjanus'': ** ''Lutjanus campechanus'', Northern red snapper, commonly referred to as red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico and western Atlanti ...

fillet File:Baked fillet with asparagous.JPG, Baked fillet with asparagus File:Anchoas salazón-España.jpg,

Anchovies An anchovy is a small, common forage fish of the family Engraulidae. Most species are found in marine waters, but several will enter brackish water, and some in South America are restricted to fresh water. More than 140 species are placed in 1 ...

filleted in oil File:doryfill.JPG, Fillet of

John Dory John Dory, St Pierre or Peter's fish, refers to fish of the genus ''Zeus'', especially ''Zeus faber'', of widespread distribution. It is an edible demersal coastal marine fish with a laterally compressed olive-yellow body which has a large dark ...

Notes

References

* Green, Aliza (2010
''The Fishmonger's Apprentice: The Expert's Guide to Selecting, Preparing, and Cooking a World of Seafood, Taught by the Masters''
Quarry Books. . * Murray J and Burt JR (1983

''Torry Advisory Note 38'', FAO,

Filleting

Marketing

Eating

See also

Notes

References

External links