Removing the skin from a salmon fillet can be done in mere seconds with this cooking hack.
Salmon is a great addition to a varied diet. It is an oily fish packed with omega-3 fatty acids that help improve heart health and cognitive function, and is linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease and heart attacks.
The fish can be cooked in various ways, including grilling or roasting, and it can substitute for meats like chicken in dishes such as stir-fry, pasta bakes, and even tacos.
Salmon comes with a thin layer of skin attached to the bottom of the cut, and while it is generally considered safe to eat the skin, some people prefer to remove it as they don’t like the taste or the texture.
Removing the skin can be a chore, though. You can wait until the fish is cooked and then try to peel the skin away, but this often results in breaking the meat itself into small pieces.
But there’s an easier way. One woman on TikTok has shared a quick hack that makes the skin on a salmon fillet easy to remove, and it takes just a few seconds to do.
Jen Stewart shared a video in which she filmed herself placing a salmon fillet into a pan that contained a shallow layer of boiling water. She sat the fillet skin-side down in the pan for 8-10 seconds, and then removed it with a fish slice.
Placing the fillet skin-side up on her chopping board, she then filmed herself peeling the silvery skin away from her large salmon fillet in one perfect piece. This then meant she was free to cook her salmon without worrying about the skin, and she didn’t have to spend ages trying to pry the thin layer away from her food.
Commenters on Jen’s video were split, however. Some people praised her for the hack as they said they had no idea it existed, while others argued that she should cook the skin and eat it.
One person said: “If you like the skin, have at it, but a lot of us don’t. This is a great hack!” Another added: “Wish I saw this last night, I mangled some salmon filets trying to get the skin off.”
But someone else argued: “Oh my god, you cannot be serious?! The skin fried in the pan is the best part! This is so criminal, I’m going to be sick.”
According to Health Line, salmon skin is generally safe to eat and can offer some health benefits, as it contains a higher concentration of omega-3 fatty acids compared to the flesh of the fish.
Cooking fillets with the skin on can also help keep nutrients and oils inside the salmon itself, so if you do want to remove it, it may be best to do it after you’ve cooked it.