Whitefish Bones

[Wild&Free]

I've been reading that quiet a few members on here debone thier whites. Back in BC the guys I know that caught whites said they just fillet them off the back bone, as when cooked right the bones turn really soft and you don't notice them when eating. I have seen and experienced this personally. They even claimed that a decently long hot smoke will have similar effect on the side bones, but ribs needed to be removed.

Is that not the case with Whitefish in Alberta?

[EZM]

Really depends on how long you smoke them and how sensitive you are to pin bones. My kids HATE bones in their fish and whine too much.

Most of us Alberta Boys, if we are not smoking them, filet whites just like a walleye.

1) Start from the head, just behind first fin. Cut in until you hit the spine, then turn your knife toward the tail and remove 95 percent of the fillet keeping your knife riding on the spine. Don't completely cut through, just when your knife is about to finish at the tail stop 1/2" short.

2) Flip the fillet over (which is still attached at the tail), so the meat it facing up, and from the tail, moving forward remove the skin by pulling the knife along the cutting board, toward the head, and holding on the the fish by the tail. Repeat on other side. The carcass will have the head, tail, two strips of skin and guts all in one attached pile.

3) Cut any fins off (on the edges of the filet), riding the knife along the bones.

4) Optional - You may trim (shave) off any dark meat on the skin side of the fillet (this stuff is gross) - You can also trim of the fat line. If your knife is sharp, this doesn't waste any meat and most of the strong fishy flavor of the dark meat is gone. This is a must in my household, otherwise I'm grilling wieners for the fusy little kids while my fish is getting cold.

5) At the front of the filet, at the top of the rib cage, using your knife skin 1/2" of the front of the rib cage. Just enough so you can get a grip on the ribs and the tissue. Using some pliers, grab and twist off the ribs by pulling it back toward the tail at 45 degree angle - the ribs should come right off. The key is to twist the rib cage - otherwise meat will come off with the rib cage. You can use your knife to follow along the rib cage and remove but, using the peel method, this is quicker and cleaner BUT takes some practice.

6) Two choices here - you can either pull off or remove the lateral line pin bones.

To remove quickly, you can either cut the fillet in two long strips (following the contours of the bones) you will end up with a skinny strip and a thicker strip from each side. 4 fillets per fish.

OR

Run your finger down the lateral line and pull each pin bone out with the pliers. This makes one large fillet per side. This not to bad on bigger whites or walleyes but is a pain in the @$$ for smaller fish.

BONELESS and clean - no need to smoke or can these fish. Whites are excellent table fish if cleaned correctly.

OR, never-mind all of that, call TROPHYPIKEHUNTER he can fillet fish like a starving sushi chef on commission working at a strip mall.

[Wild&Free]

Honestly, when I ate whites that weren't deboned I never felt a single bone while chewing similar to canned Salmon bones.