Challenging Myself To Filet Whole Salmon With No Experience

[@milazbenecka]

I used to fillet salmon as a part of my summer job as a teenager. Some tips: 1) Clean fillets with the skin should be between 60 and 70% of the weight of gutted fish (60% and below is beginner, 70% is pro level). Try to weight it next time before and after to see where is your cutting level :) 2) Very sharp knife is your friend. Sawing motion by a dull knife damages the meat. 3) You cut mostly with just the tip and knife needs to slide on the bones. The more practice the more accurate and faster you get.

[@madil2259]

Good tips, my friend.

[@faithsrvtrip8768]

Yes. A good fileting knife is critical, as well. I finally bought one after butchering a Montana lake salmon with a chef's knife. I was so embarrassed by the pictures of my little ragged filets! I used to buy a whole Copper River salmon at Fred Meyer. Those are big and I did use my basic chef's knife but the fish was big enough it didn't show. Unlike the lake salmon (trout really) in Montana.

[@milazbenecka]

@@faithsrvtrip8768 Yes, i agree. I though it was obvious :-) Fillet knife is essential, because it is relatively slim (narrow tip aswell) and flexible. I dont think you can do a very good job with wide chefs knife even if you are skilled.

[@bowow0807]

@@milazbenecka it can depend, since let's not forget that japanese knifes for filleting fish are the total opposite of a western filleting knife, a deba is very thick and has literally zero flex, but they still get beautiful fillets using them. There are many videos of japanese guys here on youtube demonstrating on various kinds of fish. Though I will agree that a chefs knife won't get as good results compared to a dedicated filleting knife be it western or japanese

[@leeoh7434]

@@bowow0807 I cut 20 lb salmon almost daily for work lately. I used to fillet salmon with a 10 inch breaking scimitar but I switched to a deba last year,. and the control you have with a quarter inch thick 6 inch blade is awesome once you get used to it. Best I've ever done was 74.8 % yeild on skin on fillets.

[@salmonburrito8239]

One tip, if you're going to be breaking down salmon more you should get a vaccum sealer. It is so much easier than wrapping it in cling wrap and it keeps for longer.

[@nlpx]

This. Vacuum sealing it also helps preventing frostbite, right?

[@salmonburrito8239]

@@nlpx yes, it does help prevent freezer burn

[@wobblysauce]

That is alot of fish for one person, and to store it you want to give it the best chance...

[@smellyvalley]

Totally agree and never rinse or clean fish with fresh water before freezing. It will go bad

[@BiggMo]

Buy a Vacuum chamber type sealer… the “food saver “ type of vacuum sealer can crush the flesh

[@Pscribbled]

Hey Alex, I’m no master at processing whole fish but from my limited experience, I’d recommend scaling the fish while it’s whole to use more of the fish and to make the smaller pieces more useful and tasty (you get to eat the delicious skin). This will also keep your fish and workstation cleaner so that you get less loose scales on the meat while you’re processing

[@billgross1719]

To help with your hands smelling like fish afterwards, wash your hands twice, first with soap and COLD water, then again with soap and warm/hot water. If you just wash like normal with warm/hot water first, you are kind of "cooking" the fish oils and proteins on your skin into your skin.

[@prapanthebachelorette6803]

Wow thanks 😊

[@NouriaDiallo]

Yes, and it also applies to plates: with fish and eggs you want to wash them cold first, lest the degrading proteins impart them with a funky smell...

[@JohnnyOcz]

Or buy a steel soap bar :)

[@telluscitizen]

Use fresh half of a lemon for the first wash, then normal soapy wash.

[@kristiankarstad7766]

Put dry ginger in the water. Trust me.

[@jorgenr]

Alex: There’s no need to remove the skin when making gravlax. Keeping the skin makes it easier to cut thin slices when it’s cured. Also, remember to add a dash of aquavit when curing it. If you vacuum bag it, it’s also much easier to turn every day as it’s curing.

[@Bozebo]

I think you meant akvavit. Aqua vitae is also a different thing so could somehow confuse someone and they use that :P

[@tomc9453]

The respect angle you mentioned is *_SO_* important and so rare these days. I respect that people don't have the time to prepare and cook everything from scratch these days (including preparing whole round fish, deboning chickens, removing beef suet) but it's an invaluable experience. The familiarity you get with this animal that's essentially died for you fosters a respect for your food that you just don't get with processed, packaged stuff. This includes vegetables too! If you can find places that sell 'ugly' vegetables (vegetables that don't fit the aesthetic standard of most supermarket shelves) they are great because they not only encourage creativity in the kitchen, but also lets you see just how much variety there is in nature, even in veggies from the same species.

[@jonathannorthcott1335]

This is exactly the video i needed to see today. I feel like i somehow ended up in a job i am unqualified for and watching you do rhis for the first time is bringing me to tears with all the relief i feel.

[@sfurules]

You're gonna be ok friend :)

[@drewgalbraith4499]

Those belly trimmings are great when you grill them and glaze them with a sauce of reduced Soy, Mirin, sake and some sugar (basically like a teriyaki sauce but not as sweet as grocery store stuff), you can reduce it then store it in a jar where you add ginger and garlic scraps to keep infusing extra flavour (a Kenji trick)

[@proevilz]

Alex, will there be a studio update video? Seems like you've finished renovations, but you left us hanging after the video you made of you moving into it.

[@mathiasremming8983]

This!

[@LordPenguinVR]

This!

[@rubenotero7100]

to remove the skin quicker, you can make that initial cut at the base of the tail, get a little flap up with the knife, then run your hand down the length under the initial flap and the skin will seperate cleanly from the skin. I learned it from my old chef EZ when I was in my early 20's. He called it the EZ way lol.

[@eyvindr]

My understanding is it's better to buy pre-processed and frozen if it going to be frozen, as home freezers are slower and damage the texture. I've not actually tested this.

[@mzaite]

I have, 100% true. You can work around it by using a cooler and Dry Ice to "flash" it down quickly, but it's a bit of a pain. Better to just get as much fish as you can use without freezing. Or plan on only using the home frozen stuff for soups, in the rice cooker, etc... where the texture doesn't matter and the fluid loss ends up back in the food. I do a Salmon "Chili" that rocks pretty hard.

[@riswampyankee9633]

It’s a little more complicated. You’re not freezing fresh fish, but re-freezing flash-frozen fish. Unless you caught it yourself, all fish are frozen right after they are caught at sea. This kills any parasites and preserves freshness on the way back to the dock. Professional fishmongers have the equipment to flash freeze thawed fish after portioning, or they just set it out in the case for customers to purchase and use immediately. Popping prepped fish into your home freezer may result in… interesting… texture and flavors.

[@t_y8274]

​@@riswampyankee9633not all commercials fish is frozen on board, if you buy catch of the day from a smaller trawler or similar it'll be actually fresh. Though I have doubts this salmon was such a fish.

[@LeahsThings]

Though as a bit of a tip! I often buy whole salmon, fillet it, and then salt the fillets for Japanese-style salted salmon. It's not as salty or "cured" the way gravlax is, kinda more like a pre-seasoned fillet-- but nonetheless the salting purges some water out of the fillet, so when I portion and freeze it afterward, the texture is still pretty good.

[@suvi7641]

in my experience buying whole fish is much cheaper and also pre processed frozen fish tends to actually be very freezer burned

[@upside_down_01]

You should try descaling the fish so you can also use the skin by frying with it or deep fry it separately. You could try to scrape the meat off the bones, deep fry the bones, or make a stock with the bones. The fish collar also has a lot of meat you can grill with. The head could be used for soup stock.

[@tyiu5629]

+1 on de-scaling first when the salmon is whole. The tiny inedible scales are a pain in the arse later when breaking down the fish. Also +1 on frying the de-scaled skin. One additional benefit of a de-scaled skin is that it will stick to the cutting board. This makes the skinning process easier. I noticed in your video that the skin lifted off the cutting board. This won't happen as easily to skin without scales.

[@AceAufWand]

Merci Alex ! Ce genre de vidéo est tellement utile, d'une utilité différente des vidéo de ceux qui savent faire. Un grand respect pour l'audace et la confiance en soi qu'il faut pour montrer ces vidéos de première tentatives !

[@tewaewae]

Hope you are well Alex. miss you and appreciate your videos.

[@sieem07]

Rarely put comments on video's, but it's so relieving seeing your honesty. To show your struggles, to show your learning curve. Thank you for not hiding this. It's much much more learnful than showing how it's done at the time you mastered it, like so many cooking video's are about. This is unique on KZbin, and I like it!

[@ohmyitscook]

always love your videos & how you continue to challenge yourself and further your skills. Thank you for letting us in on your embarrassing journey my friend! Love from Detroit, US

[@jjackle6431]

As a person who has fileted many a fish, I would say you did very well, and I would also say, you certainly have to mess up on a few before you get good at it. Nice to see you take your time, you have to do it correctly before you do it fast. Love the videos! Keep up the good work!

[@infin1ty850]

To the initial question in the video, for me it's simply becauce whole fish are not that common in local grocery stores. If you want whole fish, you have to go out and catch it yourself in most cases.

[@twgok13]

Thanks for keeping it down to earth! All the tutorials around are from guys that cut down thousands of fish, they make it seem way too easy... Feels like your onion cutting adventure previously :) Also, as some1 mentioned below, vacuum sealing those pieces seems like a good idea. You could do an episode on vacuum sealing btw. (how it affects spoiling and clever usage in recipes, like sous vide)

[@TXHeat1776]

Harvesting and processing your own meat increases your connection & gratitude for your food. Well done Alex.

[@GeorgeBuftea]

Few tips: 1. Before fileting, let the fish sit in a highly diluted vinegar solution. Do not mind the white substance appearing on the surface, just wash it and descale it after about 10 minutes. It the vinegar will remove the slime. 2. Practice on smaller fish, like trout for example. They are in the same family, so they will anct similar. It's a shame wasting a 150euro fish when you could practice with 10 of 15 euro fish.

[@tauajevitattoo8917]

Well done, Alex! You've inspired me to buy a whole fish next time. Like yourself, I feel very comfortable breaking down a whole chicken. Watching you do it with a whole fish made me realize I can learn that, too.

[@skyrere]

I truly enjoy the drama you inject into your videos. The passion. :D

[@kingsleybryce3988]

Hey! as a fisherman from British Columbia, thanks for buying wild Pacific Salmon, even if that's what this video is about getting away from! If you ever want to come to BC and catch, process and cook one I'd love to help you out!

[@AM-ni3sz]

This is a great video. Well done. I love salmon. It is the king of fish. My wife and I cooked 2 whole Salmon at our son’s Christening. He is now 22 years old. Good memories.🎉

[@MidoriMushrooms]

I've been slowly learning to cook (raised on instant food) for about a year and a half now and it is really motivational to see videos like this. I can't do something like this right now, but I've managed to cook bacon without burning it, eggs without overcooking them, and french toast (kinda?) that tasted pretty good. Also learning to make rice dishes.

[@AudyBharksuwana]

When you said you were going to the Fishmonger’s, I thought we’d get to watch them do one fish there, and then you do another fish back at the studio afterwards.

[@SoarNC]

Try cutting on an angle. Japanese style. Gives a more uniform thickness for cooking. Try salt grilled or with white miso. One table spoonful miso and one tablespoon sake. If you have an air fryer, dinner in 8 minutes.

[@lukeg.4173]

Thank you Alex for making me go to the shop and buy a whole salmon to chop... And i didnt want to spend some money to today haha :D Very inspiring videos! Thank you

[@ChelleWesJane]

Try doing it with a deba knife instead of a fillet knife and see how that feels & if you want another challenge, try sukibiki on the salmon. Removing the scales from skin by cutting them which makes it perfect for dry aging or smoking with skin on.

[@thorsten5052]

Very interesting ... I haven't filleted any fish yet, but I have bought whole gutted fish to smoke. Just washing and preserving the whole fish (even without the innards) gave me the connection to the animal that you describe. Really fascinating.

[@danielsnakano]

Thanks square space for sponsoring our guy and making today video possible 👍🏻

[@cirrus820travelers9]

Ahhh, no judging! Imagine all the critics putting out their 1st video....... everything has a learning curve. Glad to watch your channel.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Alex you're always pushing the limits of yourself and always going above and beyond.Please tell that you're planning to do plenty of incredible recipes for those amazing cuts of salmon! Huge fan! You're the best!

[@bigbird2451]

I used to have the ideal job in a restaurant in Santa Cruz. I'd go in early in the morning and start by roasting veal bones for stock. Then I'd do all the pastry work. Then get the bones in the stock pot. Then I'd portion all of the proteins: fillet and portion salmon, halibut or whatever other fish needed and trim and portion beef fillet and New York steaks. Solo meditative work in a quiet kitchen and no line work at all.

[@TheArcSet]

Thanks for this. There's 2 ways to fillet most fish: Cooks: Chop and slide the blade. Chiefs: Slice->Lift->Repeat(Slice->Lift).

[@benjaminvis]

I have enormous respect for your expertise and zeal in tackling cooking challenges. This particular one, I undertook about two years ago. We were eating measly pre-cut portions of salmon for too much money, but occasionally the fishmonger would have a good deal on buying whole salmon by the Kg (even considering the weight loss on the fillets). While I have good quality and truly sharp knives, I had no filleting knife and no adecuate pincer. I did descale before starting the work. I'm a bit confused why you didn't here. I used to do this with trout or seabass that I'd cook whole. Afterwards I find that descaling risks damaging the fillet far too easily as the structural integrity is largely gone (perhaps I'm just too rough). I barely had the worktop space required in my kitchen, let alone sufficiently large cutting boards. I watched multiple videos before starting. I struggled a bit with my knife as it wouldn't just follow bones and slide through as instructed (I do think a honed filleting knife is essential to do a good job). So, I think, on the whole, my results were a little more like your first fillet than your second, but not horrible. The mess was horrible, and living in a small apartment with a small kitchen and small fridge-freezer and limited time, it pained me to essentially have to chuck all that wasnt a fillet. It did allow us to eat a few salmon meals witj mire generous portions at marginally lower costs. Yet, if I were to do this regularly, I'd consider it essential to have more appropriate tools and workspace as well as storage options to waste less.

[@goncalovazpinto6261]

Scale the fish before filleting it. You can make salmon skin "potato chips" on the frying pan. Sometimes I take the leftovers (head, spine and tails) boil it with seasoning, recover all the cooked meat that was still attached (I don't spoon any meat from the bone), blend the rest until it is as much a paste as I can make it, pass the paste through a sieve to remove anything solid that didn't blend (bit of bone and the occasional scale), mix the leftover paste with the bits of meat and let it cool. You get a really nice salmon spread to eat on toast! I don't think you mentioned this, but a good reason to buy salmon whole is that it's much cheaper. Also, when I cook a fish head I always keep the otolithes!

[@jsbrads1]

I’m surprised the shop didn’t scale the fish for you first. Also, a Ziploc freezer bag will decrease freezer burn and keep all the fillets in one place for you.

[@jakobrosenqvist4691]

So about that fish, it wasn't caught in Ireland it was farmed in Ireland. That is not a wild caught fish but a farmed salmon, you can tell by the stubbed fins.

[@pierevojzola9737]

Yes, you are spot on, but don’t forget that so called wild caught salmon attract a higher price! Why someone would try out their so called knife skills on the most expensive fish is beyond my understanding. He could have bought a two kilograms cod and had the same experience. This is just an idea from a hunter and angler. Cheers mate. Harera

[@jakobrosenqvist4691]

@@pierevojzola9737 personally I would have recommended some smaller fish species where messing up a couple is cheaper, and if you manage to filet snaller fish the big ones are a walk in the park afterwards.

[@benjaboi9817]

It's worth noting that this is also a very important consideration for food safety reasons. Fish gets frozen on the boat not only to preserve "freshness" but also because freezing is how most parasites are eliminated. Some fish are exempted from freezing, but Alex should probably double check in the future if the fish is sold under the assumption that it will be cooked and not eaten (almost) raw. He's probably fine in this case, since farmed Atlantic salmon is considered safe. Still, its an important consideration when buying other fish

[@user-neo71665]

I grew up on a farm and we had ponds. Butchering cows, pigs, deer, birds, and fish was something I've seen and helped with so many times I was doing it by myself by the time I was 8 or 9 years old. For a first time I say ya done pretty well.

[@Kelnx]

I don't have much experience filleting fish (although I have filleted what I've caught), but I had a friend who was a serious fisherman and caught BIG fish and he always made a very big deal about keeping the fish cold at all times. Not just for safety reasons, but also he said it was easier to do the cuts when everything is cold and firm. I'm kind of wondering how long that fish you had was out at room temp. He always had his fish sitting in ice right up to the point he started slicing. Of course it helps when you know what you're doing and can get the fish filleted quickly before it gets warm and mushy, and fish meat gets warm fast.

[@digiternst]

We always leave the skin on for gravlax. Then when serving, take thin slices cutting towards the skin and angling away leaving the skin behind.

[@Bushman4]

Likewise. It helps provide a clean base to finish the cut on/across.

[@pierevojzola9737]

Hi, I have been smoking my Steelheads for fifty years and I either split them (taking of the head, fins and scale) and smoke them whole, or I fillet them and (scales & bones removed) and smoke them or bottle them. Bottled trout has to be kept sealed for six months (in my opinion) to improve the taste. As we catch our steelheads in our winter months when there is snow on our volcanoes, we can fish all day as the fish are at chill temperature out of water. Once we catch a fish we kill it immediately, gut it and rake out the gills, scrub out the nerve along the back bone and hang the carcass on a branch. This way of holding on to the fish helps when the Ranger comes to check our licence and the length of the fish. Most places the minimum is 35cm, but I have known of a few where it was 55cm. Cheers mate. Harera

[@cyndifoore7743]

Great job! Learning new skills is so satisfying.

[@BostonClipper]

Suggestion follow-up video. You always follow-up :) Why you are great! Butterfly on the grill. Square the end of the fillet. Measure in 1.5" (38mm), cut the meat down to but NOT through the skin/scales. Measure 1.5" (38mm), then cut normally to create one portion. Bend the portion along the skin/scales centerline. Oil and tarragon flakes on top. For "X" grill marks (Place on hot grill bars at 45° for 2 minutes, flip in place for 2', rotate 90° for 2', flip in place for 2'). RESULT - A consistent 1.5" (38mm) thick portion that grills evenly because there is no taper. BONUS - The folded portion because the fillet shape resembles a fish crosssection. PRESENTATION - Either leave the skin/scales as is to hold together, or glide a dinner knife or fork on both sides of the skin/scales and remove, then slide the portion together neatly.

[@Alt-Voice]

Fais des chips avec la peau ! C'est la première chose que je fais chaque fois que j'achète mes filets, super simple à faire et un vrai délice.

[@kobiorama]

Great video. I do this regularly since getting the whole fish is less expensive than just fillet, and the frozen stuff is just not that good. I liked the idea of making a hole in the skin for the skin removal part, will use it myself next time.

[@toshikosuisei4160]

Good job! If you do it again I suggest you take it outside and descale it before you begin (outside so scales don't fly everywhere in your kitchen). Many people like crispy salmon skin if you have never tried it, but the scales make it not edible. Better suggestion though is that now that you have experienced your whole fish and after you finally eat all of it, next time you want more maybe visit the fishmonger and only buy what you plan to eat that day so you don't have to freeze/store it. Cook and compare taste/texture of your fresh salmon portion to your previously-frozen salmon portion -- big difference. The only time I buy a whole salmon is when that whole salmon is going on a charcoal grill or in a smoker grill for a dinner party.

[@silantoine5181]

Salut Alex et merci pour cette vidéo. Tu mets souvent en lumière des produits de grande qualité et leur transformation (un épisode sur l'ikejime dans cette série serait top d'ailleurs) ou façon de cuisiner. J'aimerais tellement que tu nous donnes un éclairage sur la première étape de ce qui arrive dans notre assiette : la production. Si tu pouvais avoir accès à des élevages ou des exploitations agricoles et nous partager leurs méthodes pour bien montrer au public la différence avec ce qu'on trouve en supermarché, voire dans 95% boucheries (qui en fait travaillent à peine mieux malheureusement). Ça pourrait en influencer certains à manger moins et mieux tout en prenant beaucoup plus de plaisir à cuisiner ces produits et surtout à les savourer. Bonne continuation, j'attends la suite avec impatience ! :)

[@Pitichou37]

I like the series, but some matters like this, covering in one episode is nice. It's refreshing!

[@SpaceCowboy02]

Proud of you Alex. Keep it going. The more you cut fish the better you’ll get

[@Monty171089]

I like your channel because you always go for top quality ingridients... Said that I think that salmon isn't really a wild caught salmon but farmed salmon. Farmed salmon is literally junk food and it's totally differnt if compared to the wild one (differen colour, different texture, different amount of fat). Farmed salmon are plenty of colorants and antibiotics. I hope this information will inspire you for another great video! 🙂

[@HeyNonyNonymous]

One tip: filletting the second side is always harder. So make sure you start with the side less convinient for your dominant hand - to make it a little easier with the second side.

[@-alberthofmann1943-]

Salut, Alex! Would be nice to see an episode about knives. Which knife to buy, which knifeform to use for different things, sharpening, the right cutting board and so on. Thank you for all your content, inspired me a lot!

[@Pilostudio]

Alex, you need a vacuum machine. It is much better, faster to keep food you buy whole and process yourself. It also protects the food from freezer burn. Get a chamber unit, it is much better, and you can vacuum pack liquids like stock, sauces, beans, etc.

[@DanielSann]

When you said you had a summer job 20 years ago i was 😳 i searched and i can't believe you are 41, what's the secret? Pasta? 😅

[@gustasvindziulis]

I thought he was like 26

[@LabGecko]

French health care

[@amraouza4937]

I am shocked fewer people commented this 😂

[@dianacfleming]

I remember my first whole salmon. It was delivered by courier (I live in Ireland, so it was local). I had expected a large fish but this thing was the size of a small dolphin. By the time that I finished with it, my hands were so cold that I was in serious danger of cutting myself and not feeling it. It was so much better than any other salmon I've had though. I've never gone back to frozen fillets, though I do make sure to get more manageably sized fish.

[@hughcoleman3866]

If you ever go to Alaska, there is a pub in Seaward where they do a sockeye salmon rilette (sic). This is a must do!!! I will never toast salmon as good I think.

[@ShOxCooking]

At least you didn’t take a better help sponsor for this video

[@Ineluki_Myonrashi]

I swear we need to make a petition to get him to do better with his vetting of sponsors..I love Alex, but some of his sponsor choices give me a gross feeling.

[@cyprusmiraque]

Finally someone who acknowledges how messed up better help is

[@Ineluki_Myonrashi]

@@cyprusmiraque Many of us know how bad they are, more of us need to tell content creators to stop taking money from them. They WILL respond to vocal backlash.

[@respectfulplayer]

squarespace kills kids in africa

[@holybea]

​@@Ineluki_Myonrashino they won't

[@LeahsThings]

I think you did pretty well, especially for a first try! Though I wanted to tell you through the screen to please scale the fish before you start filleting it. It will be easier if you scrape the scales off while it's whole, and makes the process more pleasant-- no scales everywhere getting stuck to the meat, the knife will cut through the skin easier, etc. Plus you are left with skin that's edible.

[@jmcr71795]

I'm in my 60s and have processed fish, mainly wild-caught, since the 1960s. While I am certainly more experienced than you, and you did have me cringing a bit, you still did a decent job for your first. As a kid, my father and older brothers all fished so I learnt to as well very young, and as my father had an attitude that "If you caught it, you clean it" as well as teaching how to cook it. My mother, born in the 20s and growing up in the 30s and 40s, was never allowed near the family's big wood stove because she was the youngest, which is rather odd in a 2 room shack in a tiny village on bare Manitoba, Canada, prairie, so dad taught her when they met in 1949 after he immigrated from England. Growing up, most of the fish we ate was freshwater wild-caught, but we did have the odd flounder, halibut, or salmon as well as squid, clams (freshwater and sea), oysters, and octopus. When I moved off the prairie and onto the Pacific coast, I really learned salmon! I even went out for a season on a coastal troller fishing salmon (as well as a season prawn fishing, and a couple times crab fishing, but that guy's boat stunk bad of leaking fuel. No surprise to me when he came back to the harbour on fire!). I even have experience with smoking salmon in a Homalco (Indigenous Coast Salish people) hand-split Western Red Cedar smokehouse, with traditional Cedar handmade racks and "fish hangers". Every time I did that, there was the threat of bears, so would spend the night awake with a rifle handy...

[@Erronis666qp]

It’s the first episode I could show you how it’s done 😂 Thanks for years of inspiration 😊

[@justpooky]

Hey Alex, Several options for you when doing fish. You may find it easier to use a filleting knife rather than a boning knife. taking the head off before you try filleting the knife might make it less of a daunting task. Also, if you take the head off, you can just go straight down the spine.

[@SeDonspeed]

This reminded me of the first time I fileted a trout. I did a much worse job then you, because I had a dull knife.😅 I also never buy frozen animal parts. What you said about qualitiy control and connection is so true!

[@Fabio-Jose-DragonKing]

Daniel here! Salmon is amazing! Thanks For this ❤❤❤❤😊😊

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

My account works again alex! And amazing work as always! Seeing you try new things is always a treat! You're always seeking to learn and improve! That's why you're the Best!😊😊😊😊❤❤❤❤

[@AntoniusTyas]

My first lesson of cooking is cleaning fish. Ever since I was a 5 years old my grandma let me help with cleaning the carp or tilapia she bought from the market. So as I grew older I never found myself feeling awkward when dealing with fresh fish. Filleting a fish, however, is still a challenge I've yet to master. I can do it, but not as good as fishmongers.

[@Getpojke]

Give me most mammals or fowl & I'll happily butcher them pretty well. But even though fish is probably my main protein these days I always have a little trepidation breaking them down. Flat fish like flounders or turbot especially give me the chills. I Do however love it when I get a fish the size you had there & an occasion to cook it whole. Then I can break out my gleaming copper poissonière/fish kettle. Always looks, smells & tastes amazing. 🐟

[@LednacekZ]

if you are going to cook the head for stock, it is quite customary to take out the gills.

[@johnnunn8688]

Why? Too much blood taste?

[@LednacekZ]

@@johnnunn8688 it is bitter, some even say it taste like vomit. you dont eat it and the bitter taste tends to seep out.

[@fg87fgd]

Very good job for a first-timer. I recommend Reed the Fishmonger for further improving your skills, and practice, practice, practice....

[@tonyr6303]

Having worked in a high end kitchen, I remember being showed to fillet a big salmon by using a long and sharp bread knife, you can just saw easily through bones. It sounds pretty rough but works really fast and well 😂

[@sdcurry2]

Good job with the fillets! Though theres still plenty of meat on the head. The collar in front of the fins but behind the gills are very tastey. Excellet as a whole piece fried in a mild oil with just some salt. Then eat it like a chicken wing.

[@DRTMaverick]

Alex you need to come visit America's west coast (Alaska, or Oregon/Washington) and check out the variety of wild salmon available!

[@mzaite]

Well.....not this season....

[@ryancrand]

thanks for giving me the confidence to try this. sometimes being uncomfortable is okay.

[@pavoutsinas]

Plyers might not be food safe. Most tools are contaminated with lead or cadmium. Restaurant supply shops will have some very sharp tweezers for this job that work excellent!

[@TheDuckofDoom.]

False, unless he just walked in from using those pliers to clean the lead battery posts on his car and didn't even bother wash them they are not contaminated. Clean [new] pliers do not contain lead or cadmium, they are made of low-alloy steel and neither lead nor cadmium is used as a steel alloying agent. Mainly because they boil below the melting point of iron making them evaporate without extremely expensive exotic foundary processes that would raise the price from $2/pound to $200/pound. even if they did get a micro contamination, the elements are locked inside the iron matrix so very little is exposed at the surface to react. though there was a time when cadmium was used as a specially galvanic protective plating I have never seen it used on common hand tools, zinc and chrome are the preffered plating(zinc only on the absolute cheapest tools) Even with plating unless you are boiling the pliers and fish together in an acidic sauce, or using the tool to hold the food in direct flame for an extended time(enough to vaporize some of the metal plating) then there is no chance of significant metal transfer. zinc is an esential nutrient, although in small amounts so it isn't a major concern. Chromium plating is no worse than stainless steel, which gets its stain resistance from a large amount of chromium (about 15-20% by mass for typical alloys) which forms a chromium oxide layer on the surface.

[@pavoutsinas]

​@@TheDuckofDoom. That's plausible. Notice I stated "MIGHT". Let's put the metallurgy aside, how about the soft grips of the pliers. A lot of silicone and plastics have been found to be contaminated. Even Kitchen Aid and Oxo products are turning out to be contaminated with heavy metals. Let me know when you get an XRF gun to test some items I would definitely like and sub your videos to see the actual results. Until then if it isn't NSF-rated or stainless then I would not use it in a kitchen I am working in.

[@Juhpol]

Creamy salmon soup is the way to go with the spine & the head

[@x.zh.6742]

try a longer knife. makes life much easier (one clean slice rather than one from the top, one from the bottom). Also, LOVING this, really looking forward to the series, thx, Alex ❤

[@Bozebo]

You mostly use the tip of the knife though right so longer is just for better reach (but worse control if using the tip) if it's a big fish?

[@GarthScholtz]

Great first attempt! You forgot to scale the fish though. It's much easier to do it when the fish is whole and I usually do it in a large plastic bag to limit the mess in the kitchen.

[@finmiesterb]

Great Camera Work, looking movie quality!

[@murrayty]

Fish is one of the few things that is usually better quality when bought frozen (unless you catch it yourself or buy from local fisherman etc). Most "fresh" fish has been previously frozen or spent days on ice, this is especially true for fish species that are not local to your area. Meat gets better as it ages so it is easy to get good quality fresh meat but fish starts spoiling as soon as it is caught and needs to be consumed or frozen as soon as possible. Not only will good frozen fish be better quality than a lot of the "fresh" fish you can buy, it is usually cheaper too.

[@rytterv]

This was me a few years ago. I ended up finding guidance in Josh Niland's books and clips on here. Check out his work if you havent come across it already in your research. I have sushi chef friends who call him god! Also you left the collars on the head, best part of the fish mate! Way too good for just going into a stock. Cant way to follow your journey!

[@LloydHZA]

Niland is a genius. His books changed my approach to fish completely

[@MarkNieuwenhuizen]

As I live not far away from a fishing harbor, I have to get my hands on it as well

[@chrishuxley7634]

over 50 years ago I was a salmon fisherman on the river tweed between scotland and england, one or the first things i had to learn was the difference between a salmon and a sea trout, not as easy as you might think. The sea trout is chunkier overall is thicker where the tail joins the body and the tail itself has a straight edge, the salmon is distinctly scalloped. The flesh is also not quite as pink as a Salmon. When I saw this fish my mind said sea trout, I cannot say for absolute sure but that is what i think it is and not a salmon, It's a small difference, they taste very similar. I like your videos very much and look forward to more.

[@cybermanne]

You don't need to remove the skin to make gravlax. It cures just fine thru the skin. Plus having the skin on makes it easier to cut the fish nicely when it's done.

[@2agrinh]

Keep the skin on for the gravlax next time, and a tip, it's very convenient to make it vacuum packed in a sous vide bag to make sure that all of the fish stays in contact with the brine that's formed.

[@skullsuga]

My friend, salmon skin sushi hand rolls are one of life’s greatest pleasures.

[@chaosmark]

near perfect for a first timer alex! have a proper salmon knife is recommended, and when skinning try pull on the and hold the knife in place.

[@94boppers]

As a fishmonger i say this was verry well done for being the first time. And remember, salmon is very fatty so it should be fronzen for maximum three months to not lose quality.

[@LuTubuMeu]

9:43 "The hole is geting bigger". What else?🤣

[@imihaitza]

Outdoor Chef Life has a great tutorial video on how to fillet a fish and especially salmon

[@tony_25or6to4]

This is where a vacuum packing system comes in handy.

[@drbrainlp]

Alex: self teaching master chef. Constantly pushing the limits of himself and always going above and beyond. Keep it up chef! ❤

[@nicoskefalas]

Just typical Alex stuff! I wouldn’t be surprised if you ended up in a cooking contest to be fair! I think you could have a proper shot around winning one of those 😂love your videos btw!

[@francoiscastilloux]

hey Alex, ! tu m'épatte, ton 1er filet de saumon était pas mal (même meilleur que mon 1er qui n'était pas enregistré). et même apres des années, j'ai encore de la misère a savoir quand commencer a couper les petits os qui forment la cage toracique comme tu as vécu.

[@elspiro]

Cant wait for the gravlaks (salmon) 😉😘👌

[@c0mpu73rguy]

9:55 Ben vu comme ça a l'air dur là, j'imagine pas ce que ça donnerait si j'essayais du coup ^^'

[@Eizzyeatsstuff]

Whole side for smoked salmon is great: 1) leave the skin on, 2) salt sugar cure for a few days, 3) run under cold water for 30 mins to remove excess salt, 4) dry in the fridge until a pellicle forms, 5) cold smoke in a cold barbecue with a cold smoke generator (ie. ProQ) until tasty. Easily removed from skin once smoked. So much better than supermarket smoked salmon. 😁

[@swedensilke7959]

When watching this and he told us he was about to use this part of the filet for Gravad Lax i thought nice to see how he would do it and when I heard him tell us he was going to remove the skin, my first thought was NOOOOO don't do that. Depending on how much sugar and salt you use to make gravlax and what spices and herbs you use for extra flavors you keep the skin on as you will keep the skin side out to protect the meat and the meat side against the other meat side if you use two filets and if you use one filet you will fold it as a U with the meat against one another and then put is in a plastic bag or in a long cocking tray for the amount of time you what to cur it and flip it from time to time. For the classic way to serv it here in Sweden would be with dill stewed potatoes and Hovmästarsås that's a light mustard sauce with dill. But a tip is if you are still in contact with Niklas Ekstedt from your meatball crusade to contact him about gravlax or salmon. Great show and keep up the good work you do. 🍻

[@racerex340]

Growing up in New England and having worked on fishing boats in my youth, the ability to process fish is sort of inherent in most around here my age or older. That said, I'm not fast, I know I'm not very good, but I still prefer a fish I've broken down over anything I can get at a supermarket. Sometimes I want to keep the skin on, sometimes I want skinless. I can spend the extra 2 minutes per filet with plastic tweezers eliminating pin bones where the crap you get at the grocery store is a crap-shoot. Alex did just fine here for home cookery. I'll also add that an organic wild caught salmon of that size and quality is at least a $300 whole fish purchase, possibly even more than $500 to over $1000 in a bigger city if also sushi grade, which this certainly appeared to be. Sure, it's not Japanese bluefin market level per fish costs, but really good top quality salmon is expensive.

[@adrienhb8763]

What to do with the skin? In the oven, under the grill and then on a bowl of rice or in temaki. Sooooo good!