How to Clean and Fillet a Northern Pike
Lay the pike on it's belly and cut about half inch down right behind the head., Angle the blade towards the tail and cut all the way towards the fin., Cut upwards, mimicking the angle of the back fin, to remove the top fillet., Use pliers, your...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Lay the pike on it's belly and cut about half inch down right behind the head.
You'll want a nice, at least 6-inch fillet knife to work with.
Cut right behind where the head of the pike meets the body, slicing down until your hit resistance.
This is the fish's backbone. , Use the backbone as a guide, running down to the top fin.
Your entire blade should be in the fish, removing a 1-1/2 inch fillet of flesh from the fish's "back."
As you reach the dorsal fin, start curving up so that your knife exits right before you hit the fin.
This top fillet should be boneless, as you can stay above all the bones using this method.
That said, don't worry if there is bone running down the center., There shouldn't be many, but take care of them now.
If they are deeply embedded, which is more common with larger fish, you may need a set of clean pliers to remove them., To do so, slide the knife between the skin and flesh, pushing it through the other side.
Holding the top of the fish down with one hand, slice all the way down the fillet to remove the fish.
Go slowly to prevent accidentally cutting off the meat.Some people like to keep the knife still, and actually pull on the skin, ripping it off by keeping the knife between the flesh and skin., These will be your guides as you cut into the side of the fish.
If necessary, use your knife to cut lightly into them, exposing the tops so that you can see your guides as you get into the side fillets., This will be right in line with the cut you made on the top of the fish.
Again, cut until you hit the bones, which you exposed in the last step.
It won't be quite as deep as you went in the top fillet, as the sides are a bit thinner., Cut as close to these bones as possible without hitting them to get the most meat.
Keep the knife parallel to the cutting board to get a nice, flat fillet., If you want, use your knife to square off any of the edges for a more restaurant-quality fillet.
If you'd like, now is also the time to skin the fish., This usually happens if you cut too deep, or at an accidental angle.
That said, there are worse problems to have, as you can easily pull a few stray bones out of the fish., The process is the same, though it can be a little harder to keep the fish balanced with its other side missing.
Remember to go slow and use a sharp knife, trying to stay parallel to the cutting board the entire time., This little hole, the fish's anus, is located on the belly of the fish near the tail.
Locate it as the starting point for your fish.Cutting the tail fillets of a pike is just like any other fish.
If you already know what you're doing, there are no extra bones or steps to worry about with northern pike. , Cut down until you hit the remains of the backbone, then angle the knife back towards the tail.
You want to be just tail-side of the vent, so that it is not in your fillet.
This hole only provides your starting point
-- you don't want to cook it!, You don't want to totally cut the fillet off.
It should have a small "hinge" of skin right where the flesh meets the tail, so you can pull the meat off the fish like an opening door., Leaving the fillet just barely on the fish makes it much easier to skin, as the tail forms a natural hinge., There is plenty of good meat left on the fish if you're not only interested in the fillets.
Simply use a spoon and your knife to pull the meat off the bones and sort out any last bits of bone. -
Step 2: Angle the blade towards the tail and cut all the way towards the fin.
-
Step 3: Cut upwards
-
Step 4: mimicking the angle of the back fin
-
Step 5: to remove the top fillet.
-
Step 6: Use pliers
-
Step 7: your fingers
-
Step 8: or careful knife work to remove any center bones from the fillet.
-
Step 9: Skin the fillet
-
Step 10: if desired
-
Step 11: while still fresh.
-
Step 12: Use a finger feel out the Y-shaped bones poking out of the top of the fish.
-
Step 13: Flip the fish on its side and plunge the knife in behind the head.
-
Step 14: Turn the knife and cut down to the dorsal fin
-
Step 15: using the Y-bones as you guide.
-
Step 16: Pull up as you reach the dorsal fins to complete the fillet.
-
Step 17: Check for any stray bones
-
Step 18: pulling away with pliers or your fingers.
-
Step 19: Flip the fish over and repeat on the opposite side.
-
Step 20: Locate the vent
-
Step 21: a small hole on the underside of the fish.
-
Step 22: Plunge the knife in just behind the vent
-
Step 23: towards the tail.
-
Step 24: Cut along the fish until you just about reach the end.
-
Step 25: Starting at this hinge
-
Step 26: get the knife between the skin and meat to easily remove the skin and scales.
-
Step 27: Use a spoon to scoop out any extra meat around the bones if making a stew
-
Step 28: fish patties
-
Step 29: meat balls
Detailed Guide
You'll want a nice, at least 6-inch fillet knife to work with.
Cut right behind where the head of the pike meets the body, slicing down until your hit resistance.
This is the fish's backbone. , Use the backbone as a guide, running down to the top fin.
Your entire blade should be in the fish, removing a 1-1/2 inch fillet of flesh from the fish's "back."
As you reach the dorsal fin, start curving up so that your knife exits right before you hit the fin.
This top fillet should be boneless, as you can stay above all the bones using this method.
That said, don't worry if there is bone running down the center., There shouldn't be many, but take care of them now.
If they are deeply embedded, which is more common with larger fish, you may need a set of clean pliers to remove them., To do so, slide the knife between the skin and flesh, pushing it through the other side.
Holding the top of the fish down with one hand, slice all the way down the fillet to remove the fish.
Go slowly to prevent accidentally cutting off the meat.Some people like to keep the knife still, and actually pull on the skin, ripping it off by keeping the knife between the flesh and skin., These will be your guides as you cut into the side of the fish.
If necessary, use your knife to cut lightly into them, exposing the tops so that you can see your guides as you get into the side fillets., This will be right in line with the cut you made on the top of the fish.
Again, cut until you hit the bones, which you exposed in the last step.
It won't be quite as deep as you went in the top fillet, as the sides are a bit thinner., Cut as close to these bones as possible without hitting them to get the most meat.
Keep the knife parallel to the cutting board to get a nice, flat fillet., If you want, use your knife to square off any of the edges for a more restaurant-quality fillet.
If you'd like, now is also the time to skin the fish., This usually happens if you cut too deep, or at an accidental angle.
That said, there are worse problems to have, as you can easily pull a few stray bones out of the fish., The process is the same, though it can be a little harder to keep the fish balanced with its other side missing.
Remember to go slow and use a sharp knife, trying to stay parallel to the cutting board the entire time., This little hole, the fish's anus, is located on the belly of the fish near the tail.
Locate it as the starting point for your fish.Cutting the tail fillets of a pike is just like any other fish.
If you already know what you're doing, there are no extra bones or steps to worry about with northern pike. , Cut down until you hit the remains of the backbone, then angle the knife back towards the tail.
You want to be just tail-side of the vent, so that it is not in your fillet.
This hole only provides your starting point
-- you don't want to cook it!, You don't want to totally cut the fillet off.
It should have a small "hinge" of skin right where the flesh meets the tail, so you can pull the meat off the fish like an opening door., Leaving the fillet just barely on the fish makes it much easier to skin, as the tail forms a natural hinge., There is plenty of good meat left on the fish if you're not only interested in the fillets.
Simply use a spoon and your knife to pull the meat off the bones and sort out any last bits of bone.
About the Author
Jacob Wilson
Jacob Wilson specializes in lifestyle and practical guides and has been creating helpful content for over 3 years. Jacob is committed to helping readers learn new skills and improve their lives.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: