Someone asked me to post step by step instructions on the eyeFISH method of filleting a salmon/steelhead that I had posted on the PP Board. Wish I had a fresh springer to demonstrate with, but a vacuum-frozen Kenai River sockeye from last summer will have to do (yeah, planked sockeye for dinner tonight!) This method works for a fish in the round (ungutted) or one that has been cleaned. The demo is on a 9# sockeye minus head and guts:
1) Make a long deep cut down the lateral line right down to the spine, then several cross cuts, depending on the size of the fish.
2) Start on the tail end, and begin removing fillets by sweeping your knife from the spine toward either the belly or the back. Keep your knife on the bones and turn the piece as you go.
3) Keep going in similar fashion, removing each piece while working your way toward the head end of the fish.
4) Flip it over and do it all over again.
5) You should end up with a featherweight carcass that is nearly transparent, except for the meat between the first 10-12 ribs which are sort of flattened. It is impossible to salvage this meat with a fillet knife alone.... gotta cook up the carcass and pick it out with chop sticks.
6) Here's the finished product. As you can see, there is VERY little waste with this method. Some guys may not like the fact that you don't end up with one intact fillet per side, but honestly, who can eat an entire fillet all by himself... especially when you are cutting something as big as a 50# king? This method gives you nice generous dinner-sized portions to satisfy the largest of appetites.
Give it a try! You'll be surprised at how easy and reproducible this method can be.
1) Make a long deep cut down the lateral line right down to the spine, then several cross cuts, depending on the size of the fish.
2) Start on the tail end, and begin removing fillets by sweeping your knife from the spine toward either the belly or the back. Keep your knife on the bones and turn the piece as you go.
3) Keep going in similar fashion, removing each piece while working your way toward the head end of the fish.
4) Flip it over and do it all over again.
5) You should end up with a featherweight carcass that is nearly transparent, except for the meat between the first 10-12 ribs which are sort of flattened. It is impossible to salvage this meat with a fillet knife alone.... gotta cook up the carcass and pick it out with chop sticks.
6) Here's the finished product. As you can see, there is VERY little waste with this method. Some guys may not like the fact that you don't end up with one intact fillet per side, but honestly, who can eat an entire fillet all by himself... especially when you are cutting something as big as a 50# king? This method gives you nice generous dinner-sized portions to satisfy the largest of appetites.
Give it a try! You'll be surprised at how easy and reproducible this method can be.