Salmon fillet video

Guys have been asking for this video for a year or 5 now.... so here it is.
This is my favorite salmon fillet technique. It is not the easiest or fastest but it does yield the highest recovery. 

Nice video, looks like he's done it before.  Must easier with second side when you don't have to flop the carcass over onto the already filleted side. Thanks.

With a reasonable sized fish I tend not to worry too much if some gets left onto the carcass or cut pieces.  Those parts are then re-trimmed very carefully to get all of the small pieces, which is a little bit of a PITA process but a nice sharp knife helps.  It's worth the time once all the small thin slivers are flipped into a pan of light garlic butter for about 30-60 seconds just until they color, sometimes with a really light sprinkle of blackening spice.  Upper middle class appetizers on thin toasted rye baguette bread.

Thanks for the video. Totally different then what I've been doing.  I'll give this way a try on my next one.

Nice video, looks like he's done it before.  Must easier with second side when you don't have to flop the carcass over onto the already filleted side. Thanks.

With a reasonable sized fish I tend not to worry too much if some gets left onto the carcass or cut pieces.  Those parts are then re-trimmed very carefully to get all of the small pieces, which is a little bit of a PITA process but a nice sharp knife helps.  It's worth the time once all the small thin slivers are flipped into a pan of light garlic butter for about 30-60 seconds just until they color, sometimes with a really light sprinkle of blackening spice.  Upper middle class appetizers on thin toasted rye baguette bread.

Yes ... I've cut a fish or two before.  For getting the extra meat off the bones try scraping a spoon along the bones. Works great!

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Will try the spoon.  I consider those scraps tossed in the garlic butter mix laid on top of some dill over good white sauce on pasta about as good as the fillet.  Pleasure watching and I tip my knife (carefully).

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Yes ... I've cut a fish or two before.  For getting the extra meat off the bones try scraping a spoon along the bones. Works great!

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  I bet you could do that with your eyes closed. You know its a primo fish when your spoonin the back bone & it's goopey greasy gravy of omega oils mmmmmmm.

Awesome video.  That method makes so much sense, and is the opposite of what I have done my entire life!  I can't wait to try it.

Thanks for sharing.

I don't scrape the carcass till after its popped in the oven on a cookie sheet for a little bit. Then it just almost falls off with a shake. Not much need to scrape. Season before or after. Awesome spread, dip, omelet filling, or sandwich spread! Yeah... that's the stuff!

Good job Bill! Knife skills only come with practice, and obviously practice you have. Just like knife sharpening also, apparently.

I'm definitely going to try this filleting technique. It looks like it could considerably reduce the width of the strip of skin and meat left on the bones along the backbone.  Another advantage of your technique is that it works well on fish with the head removed, as you don't need to use the head to hang onto the fish.

I'm curious about your choice of knife, which is more curved, wider, and heavier than a lot of fillet knives.  What do you look for in a fillet knife?  A couple of years ago I picked up a $10 Mustad fillet knife to throw in my fishing gear, and it quickly became my favorite fillet knife because it has a pretty curved edge on its blade, which produces a more effective slicing action than straighter blades. I'm wondering if I should try a knife like yours.

Victorinox 8" breaking knife $30 ish. Best fillet knife hands down. 

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Would this work on a ling cod that was gutted?

Would this work on a ling cod that was gutted?

It would be a little tougher on a gutted Ling since the rib bones right at the spine are pretty thick. I cut lings from the back.

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What, if anything, do you do about the pin bones when you fillet salmon?

What, if anything, do you do about the pin bones when you fillet salmon?

I leave them in.  Pin bones are a huge PIA. The only way to remove them is to pull them out of salmon. I do cut them out of bottom fish though.
If you are dead set on removing pin bones let the fish rest for 2 or 3 days and find a good pair of pin bone tweezers.  There are 24 or 26 or so bones per fillet.

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What, if anything, do you do about the pin bones when you fillet salmon?

I leave them in.  Pin bones are a huge PIA. The only way to remove them is to pull them out of salmon. I do cut them out of bottom fish though.
If you are dead set on removing pin bones let the fish rest for 2 or 3 days and find a good pair of pin bone tweezers.  There are 24 or 26 or so bones per fillet.

My wife complains about pin bones, so I cut them out of lake trout with a thin wedge of meat.  I pull the pin bones out of smoked fish with tweezers, which is easy because they stick out of the meat and slide out easily, but find it hard to remove pin bones from fresh fish with tweezers.