How to Clean a Salmon Step-by-Step

Cleaning salmon properly before cooking is essential for getting the best flavor and texture. While fish markets sell salmon pre-cleaned, cleaning it yourself lets you control quality. I’ll walk through the entire salmon cleaning process from start to finish.

Why Clean Salmon?

There are a few key reasons you should always clean salmon before cooking

• Removes bacteria – Raw salmon can contain harmful pathogens that cause foodborne illness Washing eliminates surface contaminants

• Cleans the fish – Gets rid of any grit, scales, blood residue or other impurities. Creates a pristine canvas for cooking.

• Enables seasoning – A cleaned salmon fillet allows marinades, spices and sauces to penetrate the meat better

• Reduces odor – Washing helps rid salmon of the “fishy” smells from the natural oils.

• Promotes even cooking – Removing excess moisture prevents overcooking the outside while undercooking the inside.

Step 1: Rinse the Salmon

Rinsing is the first step in cleaning salmon. It removes surface impurities and debris.

Run the salmon under cold water either in a large bowl or directly in the sink. Use a gentle stream – you don’t want to blast the fish.

Rinsing thawed frozen salmon helps remove some of the ice crystals on the surface. Check for any remaining ice and wash away.

Rinsing freshly caught salmon removes river sediment, seaweed, scales and other debris. Focus on washing the meat side of fillets where dirt collects.

After rinsing, pat the salmon dry with paper towels. You want it damp but with no standing water before moving onto scaling and gutting.

Step 2: Scale the Fish

If the salmon still has scales on its skin, you’ll need to remove them:

• Use a spoon, butter knife or fish scaler. Gently scrape against the grain of the scales.

• Work from the tail end up towards the head. Apply light pressure as you scrape.

• Check sides, top and bottom for any clinging scales. Target rough, raised areas.

• Rinse again after scaling to wash away loose scales.

Scaling gives the salmon skin a smooth surface for cooking methods like pan-searing, grilling or broiling. Skipping this step leaves small coarse scales behind.

Step 3: Gut the Fish

For whole salmon, gutting is an important step to remove viscera and internal blood:

• Use a sharp fillet or boning knife. Make a shallow slit along the belly from anus to throat.

• Reach inside the cavity and scoop out guts, organs and dark membranes.

• Give an extra rinse inside to remove any residue or remaining blood.

Gutting prevents bacteria from the digestive tract entering the flesh. It also removes strong fishy flavors.

For fillets, gutting is done when processing. With fresh fillets, simply rinsing is needed.

Step 4: Remove the Gill Plate

The gill plate located underneath the head of whole salmon should be taken out:

• Locate the bony gill plate covering the gills on the underside.

• Insert knife under the gill plate and cut downward to detach it.

• Pull the plate out completely along with all the gills attached.

• Give a good rinse to remove any debris.

Removing the gill plate prevents an overly “fishy” taste and odor when cooking the salmon.

Step 5: Filleting

For whole salmon, the next step is filleting to yield boneless cuts of flesh:

• Place salmon on its side. Insert knife behind pectoral fin and cut down to backbone.

• Run knife horizontally along backbone toward tail to separate fillet.

• Flip and repeat on the other side to remove the second fillet.

• Trim off any ribs or excess bits with a clean cut.

Filleting produces ready-to-eat cuts that are quick cooking. You can also ask your fishmonger to do it.

Step 6: Check for Pinbones

Salmon fillets often contain many small pinbones:

• Run your fingers along the meat to feel for pinbones. Focus on thicker parts of the fillet.

• Use needle-nose pliers or tweezers to grip and gently pull out each pinbone.

• Check the thinner belly flap carefully and remove any pinbones.

• Rinse fillets after removing all bones.

Pinbones are small and thin but very annoying. Removing them helps ensure boneless salmon for cooking.

Step 7: Rinse and Pat Dry

After scaling, gutting and filleting, give the salmon a final good rinse under cold water. Then dry thoroughly with paper towels before the next steps. Drying creates a tacky surface that helps seasonings adhere.

At this point, the salmon is essentially cleaned and prepped for cooking. But you can take a couple extra steps to maximize freshness.

Step 8: Trim Off Brown Bits

Use a sharp knife to trim off any brownish or dried out pieces on the salmon:

• Check the thin belly ends of fillets for dark brown bits.

• Remove any unsightly or dried patches on the meat.

• Trim discolored portions of skin to restore nice color.

Trimming retains the salmon’s bright orange-red hue and removes odd textured parts.

Step 9: Remove Small Bones

One final check to remove small transparent bones for completely boneless fillets:

• Run your fingers along the surface to detect any hard bumps.

• Grip bones with pliers and gently pull out, trying not to tear flesh.

• Check thinner parts carefully for smaller soft bones.

Deboning makes salmon worry-free for kids, seniors, or anyone that wants no bones.

Pro Tips for Handling Raw Salmon

Observe these food safety practices when working with raw salmon:

• Store raw salmon on a plate or pan on the bottom shelf of the fridge, away from other food.

• Use separate boards, knives, pans etc. for salmon to prevent cross-contamination.

• Wash hands, surfaces, tools that touch raw salmon with hot soapy water after.

• Work quickly and return salmon to the fridge. Never leave at room temp over 40 ̊F for over 2 hours.

• Cook salmon to an internal temperature of at least 145 ̊F to destroy parasites and bacteria.

• Discard any salmon with an ammonia-like odor, slimy texture or overly fishy smell.

Following proper handling procedures helps avoid potential foodborne illnesses from raw seafood.

How to Store Cleaned Salmon

Cleaned salmon needs to be stored properly to maintain quality:

• Place salmon in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag.

• Remove as much air as possible and seal the container.

• Lay fillets flat and avoid overlapping or stacking.

• Keep salmon in the coldest part of the refrigerator, 35-38 ̊F.

• Consume within 2 days for sashimi-grade salmon, 1-2 days for fresh caught.

Proper storage retains freshness and prevents premature spoilage of the cleaned salmon.

Ready to Cook Delicious Salmon

With these steps, your salmon will be clean, contaminant-free and ready to cook. While it takes a bit of time and effort, cleaning salmon yourself means you can monitor the quality.

The full cleaning process enhances the final flavor and texture of the salmon. Removing scales, guts and blood allows seasonings and sauces to shine. Trimming, deboning and rinsing produce pristine fillets for your recipe.

Next time you buy fresh salmon, try doing the cleaning. Your homemade meals will benefit from the extra care put into preparing this healthy, delicious fish.