Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram YouTube Icon Navigation Search Icon Main Search Icon Video Play Icon Plus Icon Minus Icon Check Icon Print Icon Note Icon Heart Icon Filled Heart Icon Single Arrow Icon Double Arrow Icon Hamburger Icon TV Icon Close Icon Sorted Hamburger/Search Icon
Advanced Search
All Access| |
Advanced Search

How to Skin a Salmon Fillet

By Jennifer Armentrout Fine Cooking Issue 57

Although most fish sellers will skin salmon fillets for you if you ask, it’s easy to do it yourself. If you need skinless single-portion size fillets, buy one or two large pieces of salmon and skin them before slicing into portions. Figure on losing about 2 oz. of total weight per pound of fish once skinned.

Step 1. Run your fingertips up and down the center of the flesh, feeling for tiny pin bones. If you find any, use a pair of needle-nose pliers or tweezers to yank them out.

 

 

Step 2. Position a cutting board near the edge of the counter and put the fillet, skin side down, on the board, close to the counter edge. This set-up prevents knuckle-scraping. Beginning at the tail end of the fillet, work the edge of a sharp, long and narrow slicing knife between the flesh and skin. If you don’t have a tail end, start at one corner of the fillet and work your way in until the knife is between the skin and flesh all the way across one short end of the fillet.

 

 

Step 3. With your free hand and using a paper towel for better traction, grasp the just-freed end of skin and pull on it as you simultaneously run the knife down the length of the fillet (in the-opposite direction that you’re pulling). Keep the knife angled slightly down toward the skin, and use a very slight sawing motion if necessary. The skin should come off in one piece, but if it doesn’t, flip the fillet over and trim any errant patches of skin.

 

Save to Recipe Box
Print
Add Private Note
Saved Add to List

    Add to List

Print
Add Recipe Note

Most Popular

  1. Article Title

    Oven-Roasted Eggplant Recipe

  2. Article Title

    Classic Tomato Soup Recipe

  3. Article Title

    Potato Gnocchi Recipe

  4. Article Title

    Salvaging not-so-perfect rice

  5. Article Title

    Classic Maryland Crab Cakes Recipe

Comments

Leave a Comment

Comments

Leave A Comment

Your email address will not be published.

What We're Cooking Now

Delicious Dish

Find the inspiration you crave for your love of cooking

Fine Cooking Magazine

Subscribe today
and save up to 44%

Already a subscriber? Log in.

Videos

View All

From the Shop

Browse the Shop
Moveable Feast

Connect

Follow Fine Cooking on your favorite social networks

Fine Cooking Magazine

Follow

Newsletter

Love to cook? Sign up today to get daily recipes and more from Fine Cooking plus special offers

Site Links

Taunton Network

© 2019 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

Fine Cooking may receive a percentage of sales for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Fine Cooking Magazine - October/November 2019

Subscribe today and save up to 44%

Subscribe

Double Check

Do you really want to delete the list, ?

Note

This won't delete the recipes and articles you've saved, just the list.

This feature has been temporarily disabled during the beta site preview.

Add/Edit a private note for this Article

This note is only visible to you.

Double Check

Are you sure you want to delete your notes for this recipe?

You must be a magazine subscriber to access this feature.

Fine Cooking Cover

Subscribe today and save up to 44%

Subscribe

Or learn more

Already a subscriber?