Filleting Flat Fish into Four Fillets

A flat fish on the fish counter, complete with skin and head, can be a somewhat daunting sight if you are unsure of how to prepare it for the table. The price per pound is less than ready prepared fillets, so it can be worth doing the preparation yourself. You can either cut the fish into 4 fillets, 2 from the top and 2 from the underside, as shown here, or 2 large fillets, one each from the top and the underside, as shown opposite.

Flat fish have a light side and a dark side that provides good camouflage against inquisitive predators. When filleting flat fish, it is easiest to cut the fillets from the skeleton first and then skin them if you want. Use the same technique for skinning flat fish fillets as for round fish fillets.