Salmon is a nutritious and tasty seafood that offers many alternatives in cooking and presentation. Most people are familiar with salmon fillets, but salmon trimmings also provide similar nutritional perks. Salmon is rich in iron, protein and omega-3 fatty acids, while being low in sodium and cholesterol. Once cooked, the trimmings can become a main ingredient in a variety of healthful meals.
Cleaning Fresh Caught Salmon
Wear rubber gloves when cleaning fresh fish. Work outside, because you don't want to make a mess of your kitchen. A stainless steel table with a drain is perfect for cleaning fresh fish. Run a knife through the gills and elevate the tail, allowing the blood to flow out. Sever the head cut the innards from the belly. To remove the fillets, start your knife at the tail and work forward. Keep the knife level, and cut away from yourself. Remove the skin to reduce fat content and take away some of the fishy aroma.
Trimmings
Salmon trimmings are small bits of edible meat that are not part of the fillet. When you clean a salmon by hand, an imperfect cut of the knife can leave perfectly good meat clinging to the skin of the tail of the fish. Cut these leftover bits off and add them to a bowl of trimmings. Large-scale salmon processors have machinery for cleaning the fish as efficiently as possible. Nothing goes to waste, and the trimmings are often formed into blocks and frozen. Canned salmon also typically contains some amount of trimmings.
Baked Trimmings
Baking is a healthier cooking method than frying because it requires little or no oil. To bake salmon trimmings, spread out the pieces on a non-stick baking sheet. Sprinkle a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil over the meat. Add black pepper, sea salt and herbs and spices of your choice. Parsley, basil and rosemary all complement the flavors of salmon. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 350 F. You might need less or more cooking time depending on the thickness of the trimmings. In any case, the internal temperature must reach 145 F to kill all bacteria.
Smoked Trimmings
A smoker allows the salmon trimmings to cook slowly via ambient heat. Choose aromatic wood chips to add flavor to the meat. Trimmings will take less time to cook through than fillets, but you're still aiming for an internal temperature of 145 F. You can eat smoked salmon trimmings by themselves as a snack, or add them to a variety of dishes. Add protein to a house salad with bits of smoked salmon. Make an omelet with smoked salmon trimmings for a savory breakfast treat.
Posted in: Cooking Style