Salmon fillets should be arranged so that their flesh touches as little of the other fillets’ flesh as possible. The staff at the store should cut the salmon fillets in full view of customers. Make sure that the cutting boards are cleaned and sanitized regularly.
Farmed salmon is usually labeled as such, but if you aren’t sure, ask a fish market worker whether it comes from a farm or the wild.
Whole salmon should also have a clean marine smell and tight muscles. If a whole salmon’s eyes appear cloudy and/or sunken, the fish likely isn’t fresh. A milky film on the exterior of the fish is another sign that the salmon may be bad. If the salmon fillets have a dull gray or yellowish color, they’ve probably gone bad.
If you clean and gut the fish yourself, make sure to wash all of the blood and guts out of the fish with running water. If you trust the fish market, it’s fine to ask them to clean and gut the fish.
To ensure that your hands stay clean, it’s a good idea to wear disposable kitchen gloves while you handle the salmon.
Tilt the knife downward slightly toward the spine, so you’ll get the most meat off of the salmon as possible. While you’re cutting, it helps to lift the flap of belly meat out of the way. This makes sawing along the spine a little easier because it provides better access and gives you some leverage.
When you’re finished, you’ll have the two fillets, the spine with nearly all of the meat removed, and the carcass with the head and fins.
To be sure that you’ve removed all the ribs, run your fingers along the fish to see if you can feel any that you’ve missed. You can also scrape your knife along the fish to check for missed ribs.
If you purchased salmon fillets, you can start with this step. Remember to use a sashimi knife and to cut in long strokes. [20] X Expert Source Daniel SiribanJapanese Personal Chef Expert Interview. 1 September 2021.
