How to Remove Pin Bones from Salmon & Other Fish

Although serving a whole fish can be quite impressive and the flavor quite delicious, the bones the guest encounters while eating can often take away from the whole experience.

So you go to your local fish market and order a side of fish from your favorite fish monger instead. He or she goes through the effort to remove the whole side of fish from the inner carcass and you think all the work is done for you.

Unfortunately not, you see many fish mongers stop short of removing the little pin bones that usually run the length of your beautiful side of salmon. So in this demonstration I will show you how to guarantee that your guests enjoy a delicious bone free serving of fresh fish where they can focus on the flavors you have put into the dish instead of being annoyed by bones in their fish.

Although pin-boning can be labor intensive, it is not skill intensive, so your fish monger leaving this task for you is actually helping to keep the high price of seafood from being even higher. Plus it leaves them free to take care of the difficult stuff like cleaning and filleting for you.

How to Remove Pin Bones from Salmon: Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Cover the chopping board with plastic wrap, in order to keep it from absorbing fish odor.
2. Lay the fish skin side (or what used to be the skin side, if you had it removed) down.
3. Run your fingers along the length of the fish from the thick end to the tail end.
4. You will feel little bones and should recognise the line or pattern they are in.
5. One by one, pull them out by firmly gripping them with the tweezers.
6. Depending on the type of fish there may only be a few bones in the thick end.
7. Also dependant on the type of fish it may require a relatively firm grip on the bones before they let loose.

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Paul Hegeman

Paul was a personal chef to exclusive clients in Sydney, Australia and worked at every level of professional kitchens, from the deep fryer in a local burger joint to Head Chef in five-star hotels. Born in the Netherlands, Paul moved to Canada at a very young age. Experience with traditional European meals at home and the diverse multicultural influence of Canadian cuisine gave him a great appreciation for different culinary styles. His recipes emphasize natural, uncomplicated flavors and fresh ingredients, inspired by Mediterranean and Southeast Asian cuisines. Paul is also the founder of Chef's Pencil, though he is no longer affiliated with the magazine.