How to Cut Salmon: 4 Ways to Cut Salmon

Salmon refers to several species of oily, pink-fleshed fish from the 100-million-year-old Salmonidae family. Salmon are carnivores that spend most of their lives in the ocean but return to the streams where they were born when it’s time to spawn (deposit eggs). The best salmon are caught as they reach the mouth of their home river, before they start a difficult upstream migration that depletes their fat stores.

You can purchase wild salmon and farmed salmon at the grocery store or from a fishmonger. You can buy a whole fish or a whole side of salmon with the skin on—a side of salmon is a long piece of salmon the length of the entire fish. For smaller portions, you can purchase individual salmon fillets, slices of salmon cut from the side of salmon.

There are multiple ways to cut salmon for different size portions and different cooking methods:

1. 1. Side: A side of salmon is a single piece of salmon cut from the side of the fish. A side of salmon is almost as long as the fish itself. You can roast a whole side of salmon or cure it to make smoked salmon.
2. 2. Fillet: A fillet of salmon is a single-serving portion of salmon cut horizontally from the side of the salmon. You can bake a fillet in the oven or cook it on the stove.
3. 3. Steak: A salmon steak is a single-serving portion of salmon cut horizontally from the whole fish. Typically, a salmon steak has bones. You can sear a salmon steak and use the discarded bones to make fish stock.
4. 4. Sushi: Salmon sushi is small slices of salmon cut from a skinless salmon fillet designated as sushi-grade, so it is free of parasites. You can serve salmon sushi raw and cold in sashimi, sushi rolls, or poke bowls.

Salmon skin is edible, and you can pan-sear it in a hot pan until crispy, but if you need skinless salmon, such as when poaching salmon, follow this step-by-step guide to remove it:

1. 1. Debone the salmon. Fishmongers typically debone salmon before cutting and selling it, but double-check the salmon to make sure there are no pin bones. If there are pin bones, remove them with pliers or tweezers. You can lay the salmon side over a bowl, which will expose the pin bones for easy removal.
2. 2. Place the salmon on a cutting board. Put the salmon side or salmon fillet skinside down on a cutting board.
3. 3. Cut into the salmon. Using a sharp knife, such as a chef’s knife or a paring knife, make a one-inch cut in the salmon between the salmon flesh and salmon skin, as close to the skin as possible. This cut will allow you to grip the fish in your hands while you’re cutting, preventing slippage. If the skin feels slippery, hold it with a paper towel.
4. 4. Remove the salmon skin. Holding the salmon skin in one hand, pull it tight as you cut the salmon skin from the salmon flesh in a sawing motion, in the opposite direction from where you're pulling. Keep the knife parallel to the cutting board, making sure you don’t cut too deep into the flesh. Stop when you’ve reached the other end of the salmon, and the skin is completely off.

When you buy a side of salmon, you can cut it into fillets. Follow these steps to fillet salmon:

1. 1. Trim off the belly of the salmon. This is the thin, flappy part of the salmon side. It is much thinner and more heavily marbled than the rest of the salmon and will overcook when roasted with the rest of the salmon side. It is generally best to cut off the belly.
2. 2. Trim off the tail end of the salmon. This is the part of the salmon that tapers into a point. It won’t cook evenly with the rest of the salmon side, so cut it off.
3. 3. Cut the side of salmon into salmon fillets. You should cut the fillets into equal portion sizes to ensure equal cooking time. You can cut it into rectangles by cutting down the salmon width-wise, or you can cut the salmon into squares.

You can purchase salmon pieces or a whole fish from a fishmonger. Follow these steps to break down a whole salmon into individual fillets:

1. 1. Rinse and check for any remaining scales. If you’ve purchased your fish from a fishmonger, they will often scale it for you upon request. If they haven’t or there are a few sections remaining, hold the fish in a deep sink (to contain the errant scales) and use the backside of your knife to scrape the shiny scales away from the salmon.
2. 2. Run the knife along the belly. Next, place the fish on a cutting board or mat in front of you. Hold the tail steady with your non-dominant hand as you insert the tip of the knife into the vent at the tail end. Run the knife’s blade along the belly toward the head end.
3. 3. Make an incision from the top of the fish to the belly. Starting at the top of the fish, make a cut that runs from the backbone, behind the pectoral fin, and meets up with your first cut. Take care not to cut too deeply. Gently flip to the second side of the fish and make a matching cut, from the spine to the belly.
4. 4. Remove the head and fins. Use your larger knife to cut through the backbone and remove the head, intestines, front and back kidney, and anal and dorsal fins. Save the head to make stock and dispose of the remaining entrails. You can also make stock from the collar to avoid food waste.
5. 5. Carve the first fillet. Insert the tip of the fillet knife along the spine, beginning in the spot where the head was. Using the backbone as guidance, run the knife along the rib cage. Make a vertical cut to separate the fillet from the tail and lift it away.
6. 6. Remove the ribs, and carve the second fillet. Use the fillet knife to separate the rib bones from the remaining skin-side down fillet, using your opposite hand to lift the fillet as you go for leverage and visibility.
7. 7. Remove the pin bones. Run a finger down the tail-end of the fillets to feel for pin bones. Remove them with needle-nose pliers, pulling firmly and at an angle to prevent tearing up the meat. You can now cook the fillets.

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