How to De-Skin a Salmon Fillet

Posted by on Feb 27, 2016 in Recipe | 0 comments

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Recipes  with salmon will often call for the skin to be removed.  Here’s how! First things first, a great thing to invest in is a knife sharpener. Sharp knives make your job SO much easier (and also more dangerous, so take care as you slice the skin away!)

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You will want to get your knife on the right edge of the piece of salmon, and  carefully work on a diagonal all the way through the fillet.

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As you continue to work the knife to remove the skin, it really helps to hold the skin taut in one hand , while you work your knife with the other. This is a very precise, slow process, but you will be able to intuitively feel the difference between the skin and the salmon flesh.

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A good grip on already cut skin helps the knife along.

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Once the skin is removed, you just have a bit more to do. You may notice some discolored flesh remains on the salmon. Not only does it have a funkier taste, they say this where the greatest concentrations of mercury reside, so best to get rid if it!

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Now you are ready to poach, sear , bake, or serve as sashimi! Exquisite!

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(Just a a side note if you are of the “waste not want not “mentality. Asian cultures will often fry the salmon skin, which is a wonderful and quite delicious way to avoid wasting any part of the fish. Click here for a recipe we found for Crispy Fried Salmon Skin.)