Prepping Fish

This Just Maika Cooking: Cook’s Notebook section will focus on everything related to prepping fish connected to all my recipe posts, updated frequently.

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How to Remove the Salmon Skin?
Recommended Items I Use at Home
Video Overview: How to Sear Skinned Fish
Creating Slits
Fish Recipes
Cook's Notebook: Become a Better Cook!

How to Remove the Salmon Skin?

salmon fillets in a container next to a paper towel, pepper grinder and salt cellar on a plastic cutting board.

Fotouzy Color Coded Flexible Plastic Cutting Board Mats have colors for every type of food, such as raw fish (blue), chicken (yellow), and meat (red).

two salmon fillets side by side on a plastic cutting board.

Thawed fish usually have a lot of excess moisture.

two salmon fillets on a cutting board is which one of them is being pat dried with a paper towel.

Use a paper towel to dry the fillets to prevent slipping when cutting.

a gloved hand holding down a salmon while the knife blade slices between the skin and flesh

Turn the fish so that it is horizontal to you.

Place the blade right between the skin and flesh with your hand gently placed on top to prevent the fish from moving.

gloved hand lifting the salmon flesh away from the skin on a plastic cutting board

Gently go with the flow of the skin to cut the skin off.

two skinned salmon fillets with salt and pepepr seasoning on a plastic cutting board.

Drying the fish also helps the oil and seasoning to adhere to the flesh.

Try Salmon Sesame Chili Rice Bowl.

Recommended Items I Use at Home

Prepping Made Easy

As of March 2023, I’m excited to have started using my color-coded Plastic Cutting Board (the last product listed), which is highly rated on Amazon. It has its stand handle to grip with non-slip padding on both sides!

This is great! Especially if you are prepping fruit or chopping garlic, you just flip the board over. The stand helps keep them separated when drying. They are also the perfect size. I easily store them on my busy countertop.

Check out Pepper Fish Yam Stew, hearty and spicy!

Video Overview: How to Sear Skinned Fish

There is a different method for searing fish that has the skin removed. Usually, you sear the skin first for fish with the skin on. But for this fish, it’s different.

Try Salmon Sesame Chili Rice Bowl.