Eating something you’ve caught yourself can be one the of the most satisfying meals you can have. Catching and eating fish is something people have been doing for generations. After you’ve caught a pike, there are many ways to cook it, and it really can be a delicious meal. (Before killing a pike, please check your local angling laws to ensure you’re allowed!)
Firstly, after you’ve caught the pike and brought it home, you’ll need to clean it and remove the edible parts from the fish. Take it slowly the first time, as you don’t want to rip the fish apart by mistake.
Firstly, after you’ve caught the pike and brought it home, you’ll need to clean it and remove the edible parts from the fish. Take it slowly the first time, as you don’t want to rip the fish apart by mistake.
- Ensure you’ve got a sharp knife for filleting the fish, and place the fish on the gutting surface on its side. Under the front of the side fin, cut at a 45 degree angle to the fish’s neck. Then turn the knife and slice from the neck to the tail, going along the spine. At this point, do not remove the skin from the fish.
- Slice with the knife under the bones and cut under the ribs to remove them.
- Here’s the complicated part: You should be able to see a ridge of bones running across the fish in the thickest part of the fillet. These are called Y-bones and should also be removed. Taking the knife, cut above the ridge of these bones. Push down with the knife until you feel the bone, and then slice down whilst following the curve of the bone. After you’ve done this to all the Y-bones, cut at a 45 degree angle along the centre of the fillet. Cut until you touch the Y-bones with your knife. You should now be able to loosen them and gently work them out of the fillet with your knife. Be careful during this whole process, and make sure that you don’t pull the fillet to pieces.
- Now that the bones have been removed (the hard part), simply remove the skin from the fillet by using the knife to carefully slice it off.