1. Home
  2. Food & Drink
  3. Fish & Seafood Cooking

How to Fillet a Flatfish (Sole, Flounder, Fluke)

From , former About.com Guide

5 of 9

Removing the head

Removing the head

Removing the head

Hank Shaw

Behead the fish. Now you could do this right at the get-go of the filleting process, but then you don't have anything to hold the fish down with when making that first cut. Those who start with the tail often remove the head and guts first.

This is where you use the cleaver. Chop the head off righ where you cut that first fillet.

If you are going to make stock, now is the time to cut the gills out of the head. Gills are the other thing that is best thrown out -- they will make your stock bitter if you leave them in. Cut the gills out with the fillet knife; they are attached at either end by strong ligaments, but only by a thin membrane in the middle.

Explore Fish & Seafood Cooking

About.com Special Features

Holiday Central

What to eat, where to go, fun things to do and how to save money on the perfect gifts. More >

All-Star Football Food

Try these gameday recipes that are sure to please any fan. More >

  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink
  3. Fish & Seafood Cooking
  4. Fish Fillet Recipes
  5. Flatfish Recipes
  6. How to Fillet a Flatfish (Sole, Flounder, Fluke)

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.