Fillet the red fish. How to cut salmon - step-by-step recommendations

I want to tell you how to cut salmon or sea trout.

Immediately after purchasing fresh salmon, I skin it and separate the meat from the bones. This makes it easier to store and use.

We buy salmon

It is best to buy non-frozen salmon, if possible, of course.

Buying ice cream is like a lottery, you never know what you will get when the fish defrosts. It is not known how it was stored and how many times it was defrosted and frozen back.

Cut off the fins and head

First of all, let's get rid of the fins so that they do not interfere with removing the skin from the fish.

Using a sharp knife, cut out the dorsal fins, the large one in the middle of the back and the small one closer to the tail.

Then we cut off the fins on the belly of the fish. We don’t throw away the fins, they will go to the ear.

After we cut off the fins, we cut off the head of our salmon. We don’t throw the head away either, but leave it on the ear.

Now comes the hard part. It is necessary to remove the skin from the fish so as not to damage the meat. With fresh fish this should work without any problems.

We use our fingers to pick up the skin where we cut off the head. With one hand we pull the skin up, with the fingers of the other we pull the meat down.

As soon as the skin begins to separate from the meat, we begin to push the thumb of the right hand between the meat and the skin. We use our finger as if using a knife and the skin easily comes away from the meat, since salmon is a rather oily fish. Under the skin she has a thin layer of fat that we tear apart with our finger.

With a little effort, one half of the fish is completely cleaned, except for the very tip of the tail.

In the same way, using your thumbs, separate the skin from the second half of the fish.

Sometimes you have to work with a knife on the abdomen. The small fingers in the picture are my son helping me. He is two years old and loves salmon very much.

When almost all the fish, except the tip of the tail, has been skinned, cut off the tail and put it aside towards the head and fins.

Using a sharp knife, make an incision along the spinal ridge. We make the incision not exactly in the middle, but along the dorsal bones all the way to the spine.

Then we make an incision directly along the line on the side of the fish, which, as it were, separates the back from the abdomen. We make an incision all the way to the spine.

We insert our fingers into the cuts and carefully tear the fillet away from the spine. If everything is done correctly, the bones will come out of the meat and remain on the spine.

Place the fillet on the table and proceed to the second side of the fish.

We make exactly the same cuts along the ridge and on the side of the fish.

And separate the second piece of fillet from the spine. I'll show you in close-up how this happens.

Please note that the fillet is removed from the bones, which extend from the spine at an upward angle.

Separate the meat from the bones on the belly

Using a sharp knife, make cuts right along the ribs of the fish. There will be some meat left on the ribs, which is even good, since we will also put the bones on the ear along with the head, tail and fins.

For salting, it is better to cut up fresh salmon, but if this is not possible, you can use frozen salmon. Some people salt the fish in whole pieces, but it is much more convenient to immediately divide the fillet into small pieces that are ready to eat.

Salting fish: how to cut salmon

When purchasing frozen salmon, you must defrost it and check its condition before cutting it. If the carcass emits an unpleasant odor, and the meat remains deformed when pressed, you need to immediately get rid of such fish, as it is clearly spoiled.

Before salting, you need to properly cut the salmon

If the fish is fresh, you can start cutting:

1. First of all, you need to remove the fins on the back and belly. To do this, neat cuts are made, thanks to which unnecessary parts are easily removed. The fins can be left for preparing fish soup.
2. The next step is to cut off the head along with the front fin. This part should also be left on the ear.
3. Now you need to carefully remove the skin, picking up the edge near the place where the head was. Thanks to the layer of fat, the skin is easily separated. To do this, you need to slowly pull it towards the tail.
4. The removed skin remains at the tip of the tail, along with which it is cut off and sent to the head and fins.

At this point the preparatory process is completed, you can begin the main cutting.

How to cut salmon and separate it from the bones?

To separate the fillet from the bones, you need to do the following:

• carefully cut the carcass along the back along the ridge to the spine;
• make a deep incision along the line separating the back and belly;
• separate the fillet from the carcass with a smooth movement so that small bones remain on the skeleton;
• repeat the procedure for the other side;
• run a knife along the ribs, removing the meat. A little pulp will remain on the bones, but this part can also be used for fish soup.

As a result of a simple procedure, you will receive four pieces of boneless fillet: two from the back, two from the belly, and also an excellent set for fish soup. The meat can be salted immediately or frozen for later use.

Today we will learn how to fillet a whole salmon carcass. This is a wonderful product, ingredient and basis for many delicious dishes.
You cannot check the quality of the finished packaged fillet; Unscrupulous sellers can take advantage of this. That’s why I always buy whole fish, cleaned of scales and entrails – the quality is guaranteed and it’s cheaper. You just need to cut it correctly.

Ingredients: fresh salmon - 1 pc., salt - 2 tbsp., sugar - 1 tbsp.

Let's begin. We will need a knife - long, thin and very sharp. First we separate the head. Carefully lift the front fin, place a knife under it, and cut at an angle to the center of the head. Turn the fish over and repeat on the other side. That's it, the head comes off easily.
They say that fish rot from the head, but they clean it from the tail. I'll tell you honestly: professionals don't do that. Like during the French Revolution, we will clean the fish from the head. More precisely, from the place where she had just been.
We place the knife under the ridge and press the carcass with our hands. Carefully cut through the entire fish along the ridge. We take out the knife 5-10 centimeters from the tail. We get a layer of excellent fillet. We put it aside and repeat the procedure with the second half of the fish, only we place the knife over the spine. We take out the knife near the tail. We got two layers of fish. This process takes me a minute, but you shouldn’t rush at first, it’s better to keep your fingers safe.
Now you need to separate the tummy. We place the knife at an angle under the large bones, cut through to the beginning of the belly and separate it with one movement along the fish.
We take out the remaining seeds with tweezers - there are not many of them, the process will take no more than 30 seconds.
All that remains is to remove the white stripe that runs down the center. Starting from the tail section, we trim it and remove it.
Remove the skin: from the tail side, insert a knife between the skin and the flesh. Pressing the fish, we cut along the entire layer.
That's it, our fillet is ready. We wipe it with a napkin.
We got a great fillet; You can use it to quickly and efficiently prepare whatever you want at any time. Believe me, you will not buy fillets of this quality in the store. Plus - we have a waste-free production: heads, skins, bellies, backbone and tail - we don’t throw anything away. All this can be used to prepare wonderful dishes.
We make the preparation: separate the narrow tail part, divide the remaining fillet into three equal parts. If you are not going to cook it right away, wrap the fillets in cling film to keep the fish fresh. If the fillet remains in the refrigerator for more than a day, you should remove the film, wipe the fish with a napkin and wrap it again in film.
We can use our freshly cut salmon right away.
Mix salt and sugar. We take a piece of fillet - now we will salt it.
When salting, many people make the mistake of burning the fish. They apply a mixture of salt and sugar directly to the fish, causing the top layer to disappear. We can avoid this very simply: spread a little, literally a drop of olive oil on the surface of the fish. Carefully apply a mixture of salt and sugar on all sides. The amount of mixture may vary depending on the weight of the fish; the proportion is constant.
We wrap our fillet in parchment paper and put it in the refrigerator. The next day, our salmon can already be eaten.
Beautiful fillet, preparations for many dishes, salted salmon - you made it all with your own hands no worse than professional chefs. Rejoice!

©Uriel Stern Culinary School. How to properly cut salmon and salt the fillet - recipe (video and text)
From the series “Dinner in the City”

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• How to choose the right fish for salting ⇩
• Preparing for salting ⇩
• Fish cutting ⇩
• What do you need for pickling? ⇩
• In what container is it better to brine trout? ⇩
• Methods for salting trout ⇩
• Recipe for salting trout with sugar and salt ⇩
• Kamchatka recipe ⇩
• Lightly salted trout with lemon ⇩
• Trout in brine with cognac ⇩
• Lightly salted trout with vodka ⇩
• In what dishes can you put lightly salted trout? ⇩

Trout is a real delicacy and delicacy for many connoisseurs of fish dishes. This is an incredibly tasty fish, with many beneficial substances contained in the meat. Trout dishes will decorate any holiday table. And what could be tastier than simply putting a piece of salted trout on a crust of bread, garnishing it with a sprig of herbs on top?

Of course, it’s enough to just buy salted trout in the store, but it’s more interesting to cook it yourself. Moreover, the homemade version will probably turn out to be more tasty.

The article will discuss how to properly salt trout at home: choosing the right fish, cleaning and cutting it, as well as various salting methods. In addition, at the end of the article we will provide information about the benefits of this tasty fish.

How to choose the right fish for salting

In general, you can salt any red fish at home:

• Salmon,
• Pink salmon,
• Ketu,
• Sockeye salmon,
• Trout,
• Coho salmon.

We can say with confidence that almost any fish from the salmon family is suitable for home salting. However, there are a few important points to remember. So, when salted, pink salmon or chum salmon will become dry. It is better to fry or smoke them. But salmon or trout are ideal for salting.

You can salt both freshly frozen and freshly caught fish. Many housewives prefer salting pre-frozen fish: thanks to this, the trout meat will be much more tender.

If you didn't catch trout while fishing, but buy fish in a store. How to choose it correctly?

Trout is sold on store shelves in various forms: it can be bought whole, cut into fillets, frozen or chilled.

It is not difficult to determine the freshness and quality of trout. Of course, it is best to choose fresh fish for purchase, but trout in this form is sold extremely rarely, and even more often it is cut into fillets and sold in this form.

When purchasing a fish carcass, pay attention to the following:

• The fish should look like it was just caught.
• If the tail is withered and curled, it has been stored for a long time.
• The scales should be without damage; if there are dried areas, the fish was transported incorrectly. Harmful bacteria can accumulate in such areas.
• The fish and its fillets should be firm and should not leave any dents or release liquid when pressed.
• The veins of the trout fillet should be white, and the fillet itself should be light pink.

Preparing for pickling

Fish cutting

If you have not a fillet for salting, but a whole fish, you need to cut it up. This process is not difficult, but it will require some effort.

The work consists of the following stages:

• The fish carcass needs to be washed and the fins cut off. This is best done with a medium-sized sharp knife or kitchen scissors.
• Clean the scales. In order to remove it better, you should hold the trout carcass under running hot water.
• We cut off the head and tail of the fish, as well as the fatty underbelly (you can make an excellent fish soup from it).
• We cut the fish carcass along the ridge, remove the ribs and spine. As a result, we get fillet for salting.

What do you need for pickling?

To salt fish you will need:

• capacity,
• spices,
• salt,
• sugar.

In what container is it better to brine trout?

The container should preferably be non-metallic so that the brine does not react with the metal surface.

Methods for salting trout

There are several delicious recipes for salting trout. Let's list some of them.

Recipe for salting trout with sugar and salt

Ingredients:

• Trout fillet – 1 kg,
• Coarse salt - three tablespoons,
• sugar - one tablespoon,
• black peppercorns – 5-6 pieces,
• bay leaf – 3-4 leaves,
• spices - to taste.

Cooking steps:

• Pour some of the sugar and salt into a bowl with a deep bottom.
• Place a piece of fresh fish on top (skin side down) and sprinkle it again with the brine mixture.
• Sprinkle the fillet with lemon juice and place bay leaves on top and sprinkle with spices.
• Then place the second piece of fish, skin side up) and sprinkle with a mixture of salt and sugar.
• The fish should be covered with pressure (for example, a jar of water) and left for two hours in a warm place.
• After two hours, remove the pressure and put the fish in the refrigerator.

Kamchatka recipe

Ingredients:

• red trout - 1 kilogram,
• coarse salt - 3 full tablespoons,
• granulated sugar - 1 tablespoon,
• ground pepper - 1 teaspoon,
• bay leaf - 2 leaves.

Cooking steps:

• We cut off the head and tail of the fish, wipe the fish with a cloth to remove excess moisture.
• Prepare the fillet.
• Mix salt and sugar and rub into the fish.
• Sprinkle spices on top.
• Place the trout in a container, preferably in no more than three rows, meat to meat.
• We put it in the refrigerator. The optimal time for salting trout according to this recipe is five days.

Lightly salted trout with lemon

Ingredients:

• trout fillet – 500 grams,
• half a lemon
• ground pepper and salt - to taste (but do not overdo it).

Cooking steps:

• cut a piece of fish fillet into large pieces and place in a plastic container,
• Place lemon slices on top, salt and pepper and cover with a lid.

Trout in brine with cognac

Fish salted in this way will have a rather specific taste. It is necessary for the fillet to lie in brine for two to three days. Thus, it will be better salted and imbued with the aroma of cognac and spices.

Ingredients:

• trout – 250 grams,
• cognac – 1 tablespoon,
• sugar - half a teaspoon,
• a pinch of coriander,
• salt - one and a half teaspoons.

Cooking steps:

1. Dissolve the salt in the cognac, and then pour the brine into a plastic container.
2. Rub a piece of fish with coriander and sugar and transfer to the brine.
3. Salt the fish for two to three days, during which time it is advisable to turn it on different sides for even salting.
4. At the end of the salting process, cut off the skin from the piece and remove the bones.

Lightly salted trout with vodka

This interesting recipe is quite simple to prepare.

Sprinkle the cut pieces of fish fillet with salt and dry dill, then add sugar and a little vodka. All ingredients are required in small quantities.

Then you should cover the container with a lid, put it in a warm place for about two hours, and then put it in the refrigerator for six to seven hours.

In what dishes can you put lightly salted trout?

The lightly salted delicacy is perfect for sliced ​​fish and sandwiches. But besides this, salted trout can be put in a wide variety of dishes, for example:

• rolls,
• salads,
• rolls,
• pies and sandwiches,
• canapes,
• quiche and many others.

• Editorial
• About the project

It's no secret that many people are hesitant to buy whole fish because they simply don't know how to properly cut it. In fact, it is not at all as difficult as it seems. There are many cutting options, and over time we plan to talk about most of them. And today we will show you how to quickly fillet salmon using the example of this small sockeye salmon weighing about one and a half kilograms.

You will need the fish itself, a sharp flexible knife and tweezers to remove the bones. The knife must be really very sharp so as not to damage the tender salmon meat. A dull knife will dent and tear the flesh, and the fillet won't turn out very neat (if at all). Some people prefer to work with frozen (not completely thawed) fish - it’s easier to cut it this way. But if you are confident in your knife, this is not necessary.

If you are going to cook the fillet with the skin, remove the scales first. If you still remove the fillet from the skin, then bypass this step, quickly rinse the mucus off the fish under running cold water, dry the fish with paper towels and place on a cutting board.

So, let's start cutting. Place the knife behind the pectoral fin and make an oblique cut to the ridge.

Turn the salmon over to the other side and repeat the operation. Remove the head. To make it easier to fix the fish on the table, hold it by the gill cover.

Now, holding the knife parallel to the table, make a cut above the ridge. At this stage it is extremely important that the fish does not slip, so it is not forbidden to use kitchen towels.

You can pre-cut off the ventral fins along with the tesha (ventral part), but this is not necessary. With a confident, but not sharp movement, move the knife over the spine towards the tail. The crunching of the cut bones indicates that you are moving in the right direction. The main thing is to always keep the knife parallel to the ridge so as not to cut it.

Remove the top fillet and turn the salmon over, spine side down and skin side up. Repeat the operation. As a result, you will end up with two fillets and a backbone with a tail with some leftover meat on it.

Gently pry the ribs with a knife. They come as a single plate at the bottom of the fillet.

Cut off the ribs along with the meat.

Using tweezers, remove any remaining bones from the fillet. You can feel them by running your palm over the fillet. The bones must be removed carefully, taking into account their direction. Pulling the bones against the grain will leave untidy holes in the fillet.

To remove the fillet from the skin, make an oblique cut in the tail part, place the knife under the flesh and slide it parallel to the table along the skin.

The fillet is ready.

From the head, ridge, fins and meat remaining after cutting, it makes sense to immediately cook a rich broth, or put all this stuff in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer until better times. If the gills are not removed from the salmon head, be sure to remove them before cooking - they give off bitterness.

In the same way, you can cut any fish of the salmon family, and indeed almost any fish with a round cross-section. We'll talk about cutting flat fish such as flounder and halibut another time.