Cooking Article

Okay
so you have caught your limit. Now
how do you want them prepared for cooking? How about trying my favorite – filet! No bones
no skin
just all good flesh that can be cooked any way you like. I can taste it now! Don’t know how
you say? It isn’t hard but it does take practice. The easy to follow instructions are coming up next.

Tools

The first step is to gather all your tools. Also have a waist high table as a work surface. The tools you will need are a very sharp knife or an electric knife. The best knife to use is a filet knife. Since a filet knife is made just for this purpose
it helps to make the job easier.

You will also need a filet board
preferable one with a strong clamp to hold the trout’s head firmly. If you can’t find a board with a clamp
get a pair of gloves textured for gripping.

You will need a bucket or pan of salted water to put fresh trout filets in.

Tip: soaking the filets in slightly salted water overnight helps to remove some of the fishy taste
giving them a milder
more pleasant flavor.

The last thing you will need is a bucket to put the carcasses in after you cut off the filet.

Filet: the nitty-gritty

To begin the process of cutting off the filets
you need to secure the trout so it doesn’t slip around. If using a board with a clamp
firmly clamp the trout’s head to the board. If using gloves
grip the trout’s head firmly. Next
take your knife and cut beneath the gills to the backbone. Now turn the knife and cut down the backbone but stop before you cut through the skin at the tail. All of this cutting will be between the ribcage and the flesh. You are basically cutting off the entire side of the trout. Next
flip the filet over with the skin side down. Cut between the meat and the skin. The process is the same for the other side of the trout. After you have cut both filets off of the trout
cut off any of the ribcage that may have been cut off with the filet. This is about all you need to do as far as deboning trout when filleting them. It is okay to cut into the ribcage
but don’t cut too deep and cut the guts. Remember
these fish have not been gutted!

Now that you know how to filet trout
you also know how to filet fish in general. It is the same no matter what kind of fish it is.

All the trout are now filleted and you are ready to cook them. So
how do you like them cooked
batter fried
baked
broiled or grilled? Personally
I like grilled best. If you are going to grill them
don’t forget to invite me over. I’ll bring the corn on the cob.