How to Prepare Salmon for Sushi

Selecting the Salmon

Go to a reputable fish market that handles the salmon safely. To ensure that your salmon is fresh and safe to eat raw, you need to find a market that treats the fish properly. Check to see if the salmon fillets are displayed in aluminum trays with plenty of crushed ice surrounding them. Whole salmon, on the other hand, should be completely buried in ice. 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.

Choose farmed salmon to avoid parasites. To be completely sure that there are no parasites in your sushi, it’s best to avoid wild salmon. Farmed salmon are fed parasite-free food, so you can be certain that the fish is safe. 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.

Buy whole salmon to make it easier to judge the freshness. While salmon fillets are easier to work with, freshness is usually more apparent with whole salmon. You'll be able to choose the freshest fish if you choose whole salmon.

Study the fish's eyes and flesh to determine freshness. With whole salmon, make sure the fish’s gills are bright red, its eyes are clear and bulging, and the flesh is clear and firm. With salmon fillets, look for bright pink or orange flesh and fine white lines running through it. 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.

Scale and gut the salmon yourself to be safe. Scaling and gutting can be a lot of work, especially if you’re not used to it, but if you aren't sure how clean and reputable the fish market is, you may want to take care of cleaning the fish yourself. You’ll need a fish scaler, fish tweezers, and a boning knife to handle the job. 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.

Readying Your Work Area and Tools

Sanitize your work surface with a bleach solution. Before you begin filleting or cutting the salmon, it’s important to ensure that your work area isn’t dirty or covered with germs. Wipe down your counter or cutting board with a solution of 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of bleach mixed into a gallon (3.7 liters) of water. Allow the solution to sit on the surface for 30 seconds before wiping it dry.

Disinfect your knives with a small amount of bleach. To prepare the salmon, you'll need a filet knife and a butcher knife. Sanitize the knifes by filling a spray bottle with cool water and then remove the spray nozzle. Dip it approximately three-quarters of the way in bleach, return it to the bottle, and shake well to mix the bleach and water. Repeat the process two more times, and the spray the knives with the solution. Let it sit on the blades for 10 minutes.

Wash your knives and hands. After sanitizing the knives, use hot water and an antibacterial dish soap to wash them. Dry the tools thoroughly with a clean towel when you're done. Wash your hands with antibacterial hand soap and dry them well as the last step of your preparation before handling the fish as well. To ensure that your hands stay clean, it’s a good idea to wear disposable kitchen gloves while you handle the salmon.

Dry the fish thoroughly. To avoid spreading germs on your work surface, it helps to remove any excess moisture from the salmon before filleting it. Use a clean kitchen towel or some paper towels to blot the fish.

Filleting the Whole Salmon

Lay the salmon with its back toward you and saw along the spine. Place the fish on the dry, sanitized cutting board or counter near the edge of your work surface. Next, take a large butcher knife, and insert it into the salmon just behind the head. Cut along the spine with an in and out saw-like motion until you cut all the way to the end of the fish. 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.

Remove the first fillet and set aside. When you cut all the way through the salmon, you’ll have the first fillet. Place it off to the side for the moment on a clean, sanitized plate.

Flip the salmon over and repeat the process. Turn the fish over so the belly is facing up, with the head on the right. Cut the second fillet in the exact same way as you did the first, sawing the knife along the spine until you reach the back of the head. 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.

Discard the carcass. When you’re done cutting the fillets, you’ll have the head, fins, tails, and spine. You can throw them away, or save them to make fish stock.

Remove the ribs from the fillets. Use a fillet knife to gently cut between the rib bones and meat on each fillet. Keep the knife as close to the ribs as possible so you don’t remove any more more meat than is necessary. 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.

Trim any fat. Once the ribs are removed, use the knife to carefully cut away any fat along the fillets. You’ll usually find some around the belly and in the areas where the fins were.

Remove the remaining bones with pliers. There will still be bones in the fillets that you cut through when you filleted the salmon. Use a pair of needle nose pliers to pull them out. Run your thumb along the line of bone ends and gently left them up so you can grab them with the pliers to slide them out.

Cutting the Salmon for Sushi

Re-sanitize the work area before cutting again. Before you slice the salmon for your sushi, it’s important to clean your work area again. Use the bleach and water solution to wipe down the countertop or cutting board, and dry it with a clean towel.

Cut the salmon according to your sushi recipe. Once you’ve filleted the salmon, you’ll still need to slice it further based on the type of sushi that you’re making. Follow your sushi recipe to determine the proper way to finish cutting it. If you purchased salmon fillets, you can start with this step. Remember to use a sashimi knife and to cut in long strokes.

Slice the salmon for nigiri. Hold your knife at a 45 degree angle at the end of the fillet. Use a single, smooth motion to cut a thin slice; avoid using a sawing motion. The slices should be approximately ⁄8 inch (3.2 mm) thick. Continue slicing until you finish the entire fillet.

Cube the salmon for sashimi. Start by cutting the fillet into 1 inch (2.5 cm) strips. Next, dice the stripes into approximately ⁄4 inch (19 mm). Continue cutting until you've cubed the entire fillet.

Cut long pieces of salmon for sushi rolls. For the rolls, you usually want long, thin pieces of fish. Cut your fillet in half, and hold the knife parallel to the long edge of the piece you're working with. Slice the salmon to create a piece that's approximately ⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) thick. Continue slicing until you have enough salmon for the rolls.