How to skin a fish fillet
The short answer
Lay the fillet skin-side down with the tail towards you, make a small cut at the tail between the flesh and the skin, then grip the skin and angle the knife down towards it while pushing the blade forward and pulling the skin the other way. Keep the blade against the skin and it lifts the flesh off cleanly.
Step by step
1. Lay the fillet skin-side down on a board with the narrow tail end towards you. A sharp knife with a firm blade works well. 2. At the tail, cut down to the skin but not through it, leaving a small tab of skin to hold. 3. Grip that tab of skin firmly. A pinch of salt or a piece of kitchen paper on your fingers stops it slipping. 4. Angle the blade slightly down towards the skin, almost flat to the board. 5. Push the knife forward along the skin while pulling the skin back the other way in a steady tug of war. The blade stays against the skin and the flesh peels up and off. 6. Keep the skin taut and the blade angled down throughout so you do not cut up into the flesh or leave meat on the skin. 7. Trim any stray edges and the fillet is ready.
Which fish it suits
Any fillet can be skinned this way: salmon, cod, haddock, sea bass, plaice and lemon sole. Firm-skinned fillets like salmon and cod release cleanly. The technique is the same whatever the size, though a longer fillet needs a longer blade and a steady pull.
Dover sole is the exception. Its skin peels off whole once you nick the tail, so it does not need the knife. Leave the skin on for any dish where you want it to crisp in the pan.
Tips / common mistakes
- Keep the skin taut. A slack skin lets the blade wander into the flesh.
- Angle the blade towards the skin rather than up into the flesh, so you take the skin and leave the meat.
- Grip with salt or paper. A wet skin slips through bare fingers.
- A sharp blade is safer here, since a blunt one snags and jumps.
- If you would rather not, the counter skins every fillet free by hand, cut to order.
Frequently asked questions
Should you cook fish with the skin on or off? Leave it on when you want crisp skin from the pan, grill or barbecue. Take it off for poaching, fishcakes, pies and any dish where the skin would be soft.
How do you skin salmon? The same tail-end pull. Salmon skin is tough and holds well, so grip the tail tab firmly, keep the blade flat against the skin and push forward while pulling the skin back.
What knife should I use to skin fish? A long knife with a firm, fairly stiff blade and a sharp edge. It needs to stay flat against the skin, so a very flexible filleting blade is harder to control here.
Can you keep the skin? Yes. Pat it dry and crisp it in a hot pan as a snack, or save it with the bones and trimmings for stock.
Can you skin the fish for me? Yes. We skin and pin-bone every fillet free by hand at the counter, cut to order, so you can take it home ready to cook.
