How to Filet Salmon
Fileting a salmon may seem to be a daunting task for many. However, it is not as tough as it seems to be if you know how to do it the right way. You can complete the entire process in less than 5 minutes. The technique illustrated below is easy to understand and follow.
What is Salmon Fileting?
Salmon fileting is the process of slicing a fish open and retrieving the filet (i.e. the boneless portion) that can be used for your favorite salmon recipe. You would need a sharp and long butcher knife to cut the fish open and a filet knife to remove the filet. A towel would come in handy to absorb any excessive slime and to hold the fish firmly.
Tools to be used in Salmon Fileting
In order to filet salmon all that you require are a few easily available tools. You will need:
A clean and dry cutting board
A butcher knife which is at least 10 inches long
A filet knife
A small towel
Preparing a Salmon Filet
Once you have cleaned the fish, place the salmon on the cutting board. It is preferable to use more than one knife for fileting salmon as it makes the job easier.
Step One
The first thing to do is to place the fish on the cutting board having its back towards you. You should start cutting just behind the head and continue towards the tail with the blade of the knife in contact with the vertebral column. The knife should be angled with slight pressure as to slice as much meat as possible. Whilst doing this you would also be cutting through the ribs. Continue cutting until the tail of the fish. Finally, place the newly sliced filet on one side of the board.
Step Two
Once you have finished cutting on one side turn the fish over. Now follow the same procedure but this time begin from the tail and start cutting until you reach the head. While cutting you would reach the dorsal fin. Be extra careful to slice the meat around it and then continue until you reach the head.
Step Three
Once the cutting is done, you should have two filets. You can now discard the salmon body, or can even use it for crab bait or stock it to feed other animals.
Step Four
The next thing to do is to get rid of the rib bones. You can start this by gently placing the filet knife right between the bones and the flesh. Try to keep the knife as close as possible to the ribs so that you can extract as much flesh as possible and eliminate any bones. Once the ribs are removed, you can trim the filet and get rid of any fat lying around the belly.
Step Five
The next thing to do is to remove the bones that were cut through while fileting. An ideal way to pull the bones out of the flesh is to use a small pair of needle nose pliers. By using the pliers, you can firmly grab hold of the bones and pull them out. Continue with this process until all the bones have been removed.
Step Six
The last thing to do is to rinse the filets properly with cold water.
The filet is now ready to be used in your favorite salmon recipe.