Buying a fresh whole salmon when it is on special offer at the supermarket is a very economical and money saving thing to do. Whilst most people normally ask the assistant at the fish counter to chop it into portions, it is actually very easy to prepare at home and just about every last scrap of the fish can be put to good use.
All that is required to portion up a fish is a steady hand, two sharp knives and a couple of chopping boards placed together upon which to rest the salmon. One knife should be of the heavy carving variety and the other should be a slim, sharp filleting knife. Also have to hand a plate on which to put the salmon portions as they are cut.
Remove the Salmon Head and Tail Fin and Cut Steaks
First cut off the head (just below the pectoral fins) and tail fin of the fish using the large knife. If right handed, place the fish on the chopping board with the head on the right hand side, otherwise swap it around. This will ensure that a firm grip can be made on the salmon with the other hand to stop it slipping about. Save the head and tail for later.
Next, cut off the dorsal and other fins using the fillet knife. Then switch back to the carving knife and carve several steaks from the fatter part of the salmon body. Holding the fish body with a piece of kitchen towel helps create a firmer grip when cutting. In the salmon in the pictures, nine steaks were cut before switching to filleting (see the third photograph).
Fillet the Tail End of the Salmon
To prepare the tail end, take the fillet knife and make an incision in the upper half of the fish as close to the backbone as possible then gently follow through to the tail end using the bone as a guide (see the fourth picture). Turn the fish over and repeat the action. Put the backbone on one side with the tail and the head. Cut the two fillets into suitable portion sized pieces.
Package up the salmon steaks and fillets in portions and freeze for later use. The salmon used to provide pictures for this article eventually yielded nine steaks and six fillets. The cost of the fish itself was £12.87. This means each portion cost about £0.85 which is much cheaper than buying individual portions off the supermarket shelf.
Making the Most of the Salmon Head, Tail and Backbone
Rather than throw away the discarded pieces of fish, they can be cooked up so that every last little scrap of flesh is utilised. Take an oven tray and line it with foil greased with a little olive oil. Take some more oiled foil and wrap the backbone and tail up in it. Place on the baking tray along with the uncovered and washed head.
Cook for 20 minutes or so in a preheated oven at gas mark 5 / 190 deg. C. When cool, scrape away the cooked pink flesh from the backbone and from inside the head and tail. An extra six ounces of fish was extracted from the salmon used to illustrate this article by doing this. It made a tasty and welcome sandwich when mixed with mayonnaise and a bit of fresh dill.
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