Fish fillet
A fish fillet is a boneless cut of fish, usually taken lengthwise from one side of the body, for cooking or serving.
Fish anatomy: The structure of a fish’s body, including its bones, muscles, skin, and fins. The fillet follows the fish’s muscle groups while separating flesh from the backbone and ribs.
Filleting knife: A narrow, flexible knife designed for cutting fish flesh close to bones and skin. Its flexibility helps trace the skeleton while separating a clean fillet.
Fish cookery: The preparation and cooking of fish using methods such as baking, frying, steaming, or grilling. A fillet’s thickness and skin affect which cooking methods work best.
Fish loin: A thick, relatively uniform portion of fish flesh cut from the back or center of a large fish. A loin is a substantial, even portion, while a fillet can include thinner sections.
Pin bone: A small, slender intramuscular bone found in the flesh of many fish. Pin bones can remain after filleting and are often removed before cooking.
Fish scaling: The removal of a fish’s scales, usually before cooking or further preparation. Scaling may precede filleting when the skin will remain on the cut.
Pan-frying: A cooking method that cooks food in a shallow layer of hot fat in a pan. Thin fillets cook quickly and can develop a browned surface in a pan.
Fish portion: A serving-sized piece of fish prepared for cooking or sale. A fillet may be sold whole or divided into smaller portions.
Fish butchery: The preparation of fish by cleaning, cutting, and portioning it for sale or cooking. Filleting is one of the main ways fish butchery turns a whole fish into usable portions.
Gutting: The removal of a fish’s internal organs before further preparation or cooking. Gutting is commonly done before filleting a whole fish.