Episode 17, 3/11/25
Filleting Your Fish
In this episode you’ll learn how to fillet a fish from Sam Peterson, a fisheries biologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. We’ve heard from listeners that being handed a whole fish—one with the head still on and insides still inside—can be intimidating. We’ll talk to Sam about his job, his hobby of microfishing, then he’ll break the fish filleting process down. Marie even tries her hand at filleting a walleye, and then we get into different filleting techniques for different species of fish. For the Fish-o-Licious part of our podcast, Marie cooks a new recipe called, “Oh My, Arctic Char!” It’s really simple and easy and can be used on almost any kind of fish.
Sam Peterson fillets a burbot. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
Sam Peterson, ready to fillet a walleye. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
Step One: Make a cut down the fish’s neck, just behind the pectoral fins. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
Step Two: Cut along the fish’s back until you reach the end of the ribs. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
Step Three: Once you reach the end of the ribs, puncture the knife all the way through the belly and keep cutting until you reach the tail. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
Step Four: Leave the fillet attached to the tail and cut the fillet off the skin, moving your knife parallel to the cutting board surface. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
Step Five: Admire your fillet! Repeat the process for the other side of the fish. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
Black crappies await filleting on a plate. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
Sam Peterson fillets an Arctic char. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
An Arctic char fillet, ready for cooking. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
Ingredients for the “Oh My, Arctic Char!” recipe. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
An oven-cooked char fillet. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant
Recipe
Thanks to our guest
Sam Peterson, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Credits
Marie Zhuikov | Host
Senior Science Communicator
What I do at Sea Grant
Marie writes about Great Lakes water issues, Sea Grant activities and research. She also works on podcasts, oversees the Wisconsin Sea Grant blog, and takes photos. She works in collaboration with program scientists, outreach specialists and institute staff to build water science literacy. Prior to joining Wisconsin Sea Grant in 2012, Marie worked for Minnesota Sea Grant for 15 years.
Sharon Moen | Host
Food-Fish Outreach Coordinator
What I do at Sea Grant
Sharon Moen provides information, trainings and opportunities so that people can make science-based decisions when producing, procuring, marketing or eating fish, especially in Wisconsin. She works with commercial fishers, food-fish producers and fish consumers so that Wisconsin can better support sustainable fisheries industries and improve human health. Prior to joining Wisconsin Sea Grant to focus on the Eat Wisconsin Fish initiative, Moen worked for Minnesota Sea Grant for over 20 years.