Salmon Filleting

Zee and TTM mentioned this weekend that there is an interest in a filleting technique series. We were hoping to do a video installment for Cabezon but we got distracted catching fish...
I dug through some old photo's and found a series of pictures a for Salmon filleting that I figured would be a good start.
Let me know what you think.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS A SHARP KNIFE. Should have some flex but not a noodle knife. Too much flex is dangerous and give bad results. NEEDS TO BE SHARP!! not just kinda sharp .... really sharp! If you are only ok at sharpening knives pay some one to sharpen your knifes. Machine sharpening doesn't count and will destroy your knives.

Ok first off ... I do not claim this fish! It is a late season Native caught springer that my mom bought at the farmers market in Portland.


I prefer to fillet all my salmon after I have gutted them. I know it is a bit of a pain in the ass for the Sporties but you get much better results and more meat. This is my slow cut method for large salmon over 10 pounds or so. Slower but higher yields for the Kings. From a gutted fish you can get over 80% meat recovery.

All strokes of the knife should be long pulling strokes. Angle the knife back and let it do the work. Use every inch from the handle to the tip. 8-10" knives work best. 6" are passable but you will get jammed up on big fish. 6" are great for rock fish!

Cut the head off.


Cut from the back of the belly cavity to the tail and up to the back bone. This is a key step that pays off later.


Lift the belly and run you knife on a high angle and make a shallow cut just through the belly bones and pin bones. All the way to the tail.


Lay your knife flat against the vertical bones and give a little down pressure as you glide the knife back. Drawing from the head to the tail.


Repeat on second side. I don't move the fish. Just cut up instead of down.





Remove anal fin and belly fins and collar.



Removing the belly bones is easy if your technique is correct.
Remember always cut from the head to the tail and make long drawing strokes and put pressure towards the bones to keep tight and avoid meat loss. This means lifting your knife as you remove these bones.





NOTE: It is much easier to cut on a smooth board but longer to clean up so at home I tend to use newspaper.
 

SO.... you going to do a video looks like a great method.

BrianB

I don't have a camera but would be more that happy work with someone in the area to put a few different video's together. I have a friend that would let me use his shop and cut some salmon for him. When I was cutting a pile of fish I got down to 50 seconds or so per sockeye.

That's essentially the same method I use at work.  Only differences would be that I take the collars off with the head (smoke 'em up! they're great), followed by all the fins.  With the fins removed it's remarkably easier to cut through the fillets, even with how sharp my knives are...

I leave the collars on b/c if the fish are really slippery it is easier to hang onto the collar. Especially when splitting. I used to remove fins but found that cutting around them is faster and anytime you have to cut through bone or fin it dulls your knife a lot faster.
I love smoked collars! Where do you work?

New Seasons here in the PDX area.  If I have a slippery fish, i just lay a towel down.  And if I have to do that, I'm usually not too happy about things. 

Primo job there, BTW.  If I had the power to do so, I'd offer you a job, but I'm not even so sure of my own these days.



And I saw Coosbayyakker filmed a video of some fillet action over on youtube just a bit ago....

I filmed it a while back. wasn't gonna post it because i was way uncoordinated that day and was mumbling to boot.. but didn't take the time yet to do it better so here ya go.

I smoke everything thats not a steak,so that's how i do it. my knife was only kinda sharp..like FG said a SHARP knife is essential.]

I'm just a self taught hack so nothing special.

I managed retail seafood for 7 years and ran a 42 foot fresh case for 3 of that ... Played at Pike Place Market for a year while going to school. Now I do wholesale buying for a secondary processor in Seattle. I used to cut all of our own salmon halibut black cod lingcod and mahi in the shop. Training 18-22 year old to fillet can be an interesting challenge but well worth it.

You guys have a lock on the PDX market place. Though there are some good shops down there.

aahh... then you want nothing to do with what i'm doing... sounds familiar.

LOL Not at all ..... I love Retail Seafood!!
Just not enough money in it unless you are running your own shop.
Thought about going back several times!

Very cool. Sure that'd make a great vid.

I don't have a camera but would be more that happy work with someone in the area to put a few different video's together. I have a friend that would let me use his shop and cut some salmon for him. When I was cutting a pile of fish I got down to 50 seconds or so per sockeye.

Let me know where that is and I'm sure I can make some time to film it. Any chance they have Cabbies?

Z

I'll have to go catch some more ... cut three yesterday 
We could do a whole series ..... ling ... rock ... greenling .... cabies ... salmon ... tuna

I'll have to go catch some more ... cut three yesterday 
We could do a whole series ..... ling ... rock ... greenling .... cabies ... salmon ... tuna

Dude - this is awesome.  yes, a series would be great.  I'm very interested in seeing you cut a cabezon, and your method for getting the pinbones out of a greenling filet.  And how bout even a flatfish!?

Sounds like need to do some catching first!!
I was planning on showing you skin on pin bone removal but you guys were busy catching MONSTER lings!!
Lets do a "cabezon" trip up near you. Keep a few greenines and a cabie or two. If we have to release a few lings in the process so be it ...... =)

Absolutely.  Cabs open til Nov 30th.  I know a good spot around here.  A decent spot for cabs is deception pass, between Seattle and Bham.