Salmon question: how to de-bone the fillet

Many fishmongers leave the pin bones in the fillet. You can feel them easily in the raw fillet by running your finger over the filet from the front toward the rear. I use pliers to remove them one at a time. There are a dozen or so. It's easy.

Thanks!

Board-O:
I thought you'd use dental instruments.
Do you anesthetize the fish first?

quote:

Originally posted by Board-O:
Many fishmongers leave the pin bones in the fillet. You can feel them easily in the raw fillet by running your finger over the filet from the front toward the rear. I use pliers to remove them one at a time. There are a dozen or so. It's easy.

Exactly right! I keep a pair of small needlenose pliers in the kitchen dedicated only to food uses. In addition to the pinbones that are sometimes left in salmon, there are always small bones to remove in red snapper as well.

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Originally posted by irwin:
Do you anesthetize the fish first?

No, I anesthetize myself with Viognier.

SeaQ, I haven't had a problem with bones in red snapper fillets, but I have the fishmonger fillet them for me when I buy the whole fish.

quote:

No, I anesthetize myself with Viognier.

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Originally posted by spacewrangler:
the tiny little bones

The bones left in a salmon filet shouldn't be "tiny little bones". Most should be 1-2", which as suggested, can be removed with pliers (preferably before you cook it).

They are long - I meant tiny in that they resemble little plastic pieces.

I wonder what happens to one of those puppies should you accidentally swallow one....

Does gum really last for 7 years in your stomach, or is that a myth?

KHAK! KHAK!

I actually pull them out with my nails... but now I'm going to buy a pair of chiropodist's pliers.

Lady K had to wait for hours in A&E going 'Khak! Khak! Khak!' once, so I try my best not to let it happen again. I was in Edinburgh at the time, BTW.

You must have thin finegers, KillerB. I can't reach that deep inside the fish to pull bones out, only use plyers.

Strong finegers too!

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Originally posted by Board-O:
Strong finegers too!

Yep, those bones are slippery little guys. Using pliers doesn't mess up the meat at all, whereas using my fingers tends to mess up the filet.

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Originally posted by louzarius:

quote:

Originally posted by Board-O:
Strong finegers too!

Yep, those bones are slippery little guys. Using pliers doesn't mess up the meat at all, whereas using my fingers tends to mess up the filet.

I have pianist's fingers. Unfortunately, he wants them back because I can't play piano. Yes, it does mess up the fillet, hence why I'm getting the pliers.

For cry'n out loud...we're talk'n a few tiny bones!
They are easy to pick out after the fillet has been cooked...geez, the meat just flakes apart.

The few you miss can be spit on the floor...

There's a big difference between us, tyee. When it comes to fish (and possibly many other things), you are an adult and I am a child. Having bones in a fish dish really ruins the experience for me. I'd rather take out the pliers and remove the pin bones from salmon than have to search for them in my food,

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Having bones in a fish dish really ruins the experience for me.

Fair enough B-O...I guess its' personal preference...or what you are used to.

Actually...after reading this thread, and my post...my wife says she leaves a few bones in my portion of fish hoping I'll choke to death so she can collect the insurance money.

For company she will pick whatever few bones are still in the fish after filleting.

quote:

Originally posted by Board-O:

I'd rather take out the pliers and remove the pin bones from salmon than have to search for them in my food,

Absolutely! There's nothing worse than finding an unexpected pair of pliers in your food.



Actually, I'm in complete agreement. A few extra minutes of preparation so that you can enjoy the meal without concern about small bones, or spitting out a half-chewed mouthful after you discover one, is totally worth that small amount of effort. After you've pulled out the pin bones a few times, you can do it pretty quickly. The time invested is minimal, and result is preferable.