Fillets

Fillet, in culinary terms, is a boneless cut or piece of meat or fish. The word derives from French filet, meaning a strip or thread. For fish, a fillet is produced by removing the fillet from either side of the backbone, typically yielding two fillets per fish. Fish fillets may be skin-on or skinless and may be prepared with the skin left on for cooking or removed before serving. Common examples include cod, haddock, salmon, and tilapia. Meat fillets include the beef tenderloin (often sold as filet mignon) and pork or chicken fillets. Filleting requires careful knife work to minimize bone fragments and maximize yield.

In cooking, fillets are valued for their tenderness and quick cooking times. Methods include sautéing, baking, grilling, poaching, and pan-searing. Fillets can be served with sauces, lemon, herbs, or butter.

In geometry and technical drawing, a fillet is a rounding applied to an interior or exterior corner of a shape, defined by a radius. Fillets remove sharp edges to reduce stress concentrations, improve manufacturability, or achieve a desired aesthetic. They are common in CAD, mechanical design, and architecture. Fillets are distinct from chamfers, which create a straight, angled edge rather than a rounded one.