What can you do with salmon fish trimmings?
April 18, 2022 1:25 PM Subscribe
My local grocery sells packs of salmon fish trimmings. I don't believe they've removed the scales. What can these trimmings be used for? Recipes requested! If they require de-scaling, I'm probably going to pass because the trimmings are about an inch wide and a few inches long. (There's a lot in one pack and it'd be hard to descale by hand?)
Are you sure they haven't removed the scales and just left the skin? If so, salmon salad, then stuff into a croissant.
posted by credulous at 2:01 PM on April 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by credulous at 2:01 PM on April 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
This Choose-Your-Own-Adventure recipe ends with either a dip or an omelet. Sounds like a good time.
posted by box at 2:04 PM on April 18, 2022
posted by box at 2:04 PM on April 18, 2022
When I have salmon skin (it probably has been scaled, I would expect, but I could be wrong) I throw it under the broiler for a while so it crisps up and then I go make best friends with my dogs.
posted by phunniemee at 2:18 PM on April 18, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by phunniemee at 2:18 PM on April 18, 2022 [7 favorites]
My local shop has cheap smoked salmon trimmings (that is, what's left after they make the attractive sliced stuff). Are yours smoked?
Even if not: Easy pasta sauce (also works with canned salmon)
Pasta: ideally long and thin, spaghetti or linguini or tagliatelle or something like that
- White wine- about 1 glass will do for two people, or half of one of those little bottles
- Dill
- Salmon trimmings
- Cream (UK: Double cream; US: Heavy cream I think?)
If you like, you can make this in the bottom of a saucepan large enough to dump the pasta into once it's done.
Bring the white wine to the boil in a saucepan. Add the salmon and chopped dill.
Simmer and reduce.
(You can add some prawns/shrimp too at this stage, if you like them. I use the little ones)
When the wine is reduced down a lot, turn off the heat and stir in the cream.
When the pasta is done, drain it and dump it into the saucepan with the sauce. Stir to coat, then serve.
posted by Pallas Athena at 3:14 PM on April 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
Even if not: Easy pasta sauce (also works with canned salmon)
Pasta: ideally long and thin, spaghetti or linguini or tagliatelle or something like that
- White wine- about 1 glass will do for two people, or half of one of those little bottles
- Dill
- Salmon trimmings
- Cream (UK: Double cream; US: Heavy cream I think?)
If you like, you can make this in the bottom of a saucepan large enough to dump the pasta into once it's done.
Bring the white wine to the boil in a saucepan. Add the salmon and chopped dill.
Simmer and reduce.
(You can add some prawns/shrimp too at this stage, if you like them. I use the little ones)
When the wine is reduced down a lot, turn off the heat and stir in the cream.
When the pasta is done, drain it and dump it into the saucepan with the sauce. Stir to coat, then serve.
posted by Pallas Athena at 3:14 PM on April 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
Salmon with all sorts of add-ins, on pasta. Or just butter, then a squeeze of lemon. Bagel, a little cream cheese of hummus, salmon. Stirfry - salmon, asparagus, any other veg, with a sauce of say sauce, ginger, garlic, a little brown sugar on rice, topped with scallions. Sauteed salmon in a breakfast wrap, or with hash browns.
posted by theora55 at 3:26 PM on April 18, 2022
posted by theora55 at 3:26 PM on April 18, 2022
YUM.
One of my favorite things at my local sushi place is their salmon skin roll.
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 5:30 PM on April 18, 2022 [3 favorites]
One of my favorite things at my local sushi place is their salmon skin roll.
posted by RobinofFrocksley at 5:30 PM on April 18, 2022 [3 favorites]
I'd be very surprised if they weren't descaled, as this is generally done when the fish is whole. In any case, salmon scales are quite visible, so you should be able to see if they are still on there before you buy.
If the salmon quality is good, I would just cook these up in a pan with butter and/or olive oil. The trimmings generally have a lot of skin and fat (good for you). If you try to clean them up to use as you would salmon in a recipe that only uses meat, you won't end up with that much. But if you fry them up on relatively high heat, the skin comes out tasty and you can just eat the trimmings whole, minus any fins or bones. The key with salmon is to not overcook it (49C internal for wild salmon, a little higher for farmed) and ideally to spoon some hot fat from the pan over it as it cooks.
To serve, drizzle a bit of lemon on if you like, maybe some more butter, or you can make a little pan sauce with whatever you have around (wine, cream, onion/shallot, capers, dill are classics, but miso sauces are great too). But a nice piece of salmon, even a trimming, is good by all itself.
posted by ssg at 7:02 PM on April 18, 2022
If the salmon quality is good, I would just cook these up in a pan with butter and/or olive oil. The trimmings generally have a lot of skin and fat (good for you). If you try to clean them up to use as you would salmon in a recipe that only uses meat, you won't end up with that much. But if you fry them up on relatively high heat, the skin comes out tasty and you can just eat the trimmings whole, minus any fins or bones. The key with salmon is to not overcook it (49C internal for wild salmon, a little higher for farmed) and ideally to spoon some hot fat from the pan over it as it cooks.
To serve, drizzle a bit of lemon on if you like, maybe some more butter, or you can make a little pan sauce with whatever you have around (wine, cream, onion/shallot, capers, dill are classics, but miso sauces are great too). But a nice piece of salmon, even a trimming, is good by all itself.
posted by ssg at 7:02 PM on April 18, 2022
I make Dorie Greenspan’s salmon rillettes all the time, even buying a fillet of fresh salmon to do so; but there’s no denying that salmon scraps make it a lot cheaper.
posted by Hypatia at 7:10 PM on April 18, 2022
posted by Hypatia at 7:10 PM on April 18, 2022
When I have salmon skin (it probably has been scaled, I would expect, but I could be wrong) I throw it under the broiler for a while so it crisps up and then I go make best friends with my dogs.
Woof!
posted by kate4914 at 7:28 PM on April 18, 2022
Woof!
posted by kate4914 at 7:28 PM on April 18, 2022
I too would imagine they are descaled, the ones at my local shop are.
I broil them in the oven. My favorite is to marinate them in oil, miso, soy sauce and mirin. Then about 5 mins under the broiler and put it over rice. Top with scallions and sesame seeds. Add some avocado to complete the meal.
posted by inevitability at 9:02 PM on April 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
I broil them in the oven. My favorite is to marinate them in oil, miso, soy sauce and mirin. Then about 5 mins under the broiler and put it over rice. Top with scallions and sesame seeds. Add some avocado to complete the meal.
posted by inevitability at 9:02 PM on April 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
You can lay the fish, skin side down, and press with your hand, on top, cut the meat off the skin. Then go from there. But you might want so sautee a piece of this with oil and garlic, to see how it tastes, before you go to make a big dish. See what you have. It may have been labeled salmon, but if it has scales, it is not.
posted by Oyéah at 1:53 PM on April 19, 2022
posted by Oyéah at 1:53 PM on April 19, 2022
Salmon trimmings are usually the fattiest cuts, from around the tail. This means that they will probably have more of those heart healthy fats you need for good brain and vascular health, but also can add up to something greasy.
It is therefore a good idea to combine your salmon with something starchy like rice to absorb the grease, or to poach it.
Salmon trimmings make a good curry, might make a good stir fry and are traditionally thrown into chowders.
Salmon skin can be overwhelming, even if it has had the scales removed. I would be very surprised if they cut up the salmon before removing the scales. I find the kin easier to remove after cooking and if you poach it the skin increase the flavour of the broth. The skin has multiple layers, and the skin nearest the flesh is not overwhelming at all - you only need to remove the tough outer layer of the skin. The salmon skin is perfectly edible - they include it in tinned salmon, so if it doesn't actually overwhelm you, you can leave it in.
posted by Jane the Brown at 5:48 PM on April 19, 2022
It is therefore a good idea to combine your salmon with something starchy like rice to absorb the grease, or to poach it.
Salmon trimmings make a good curry, might make a good stir fry and are traditionally thrown into chowders.
Salmon skin can be overwhelming, even if it has had the scales removed. I would be very surprised if they cut up the salmon before removing the scales. I find the kin easier to remove after cooking and if you poach it the skin increase the flavour of the broth. The skin has multiple layers, and the skin nearest the flesh is not overwhelming at all - you only need to remove the tough outer layer of the skin. The salmon skin is perfectly edible - they include it in tinned salmon, so if it doesn't actually overwhelm you, you can leave it in.
posted by Jane the Brown at 5:48 PM on April 19, 2022
Roast. Perfect size to do in a small toaster oven.
Then:
Make into rice bowl (poke bowl, of sorts)
Add into noodle or pasta dishes. Can be Italian pasta dishes, or a rice vermicelli noodle bowl like Vietnamese “bun”
Add into a seafood stew with other shellfish. Think curry seafood stew, cioppino, etc
Add over scrambled eggs or fried eggs
Add to a salad
Put your favorite spread onto some toasted wheat/rye slices. Add the roasted salmon. Garnish with other pickles, aromatics, or herbs => smorrebrod https://www.saveur.com/how-to-make-smorrebrod/
posted by junesix at 4:45 PM on April 20, 2022
Then:
Make into rice bowl (poke bowl, of sorts)
Add into noodle or pasta dishes. Can be Italian pasta dishes, or a rice vermicelli noodle bowl like Vietnamese “bun”
Add into a seafood stew with other shellfish. Think curry seafood stew, cioppino, etc
Add over scrambled eggs or fried eggs
Add to a salad
Put your favorite spread onto some toasted wheat/rye slices. Add the roasted salmon. Garnish with other pickles, aromatics, or herbs => smorrebrod https://www.saveur.com/how-to-make-smorrebrod/
posted by junesix at 4:45 PM on April 20, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mskyle at 1:28 PM on April 18, 2022 [3 favorites]