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Q: I have being trying to make sushi at home for
quite some time, and over the last while, I have started to notice the
different cuts of salmon that you can get. The problem I seem to have is
that I always buy salmon fillets from a fishmonger in our area, and although
it is a lot cheaper than buying the fish from a sushi bar, it doesn't seem
to cut or shape as well as the fish I buy from the sushi bar. Am I correct
in saying that there are 2 main cuts of salmon, fillet and halfside? The
fillet I find seems to break up very easily, where as "halfside" is more of
a solid piece of fish, that seems to handle easier - not break up - and can
be shaped easier. I.E. for sashimi and cutting slices for salmon roses. Is
that correct? Also is "half side" the correct word for that piece of fish I
am referring to? - Jason B.
You are correct. The thicker portion of the entire fillet
is referred to as a 'half side' and is generally easier to work with for
sushi and sashimi. However the area closer to the belly (the fattiest part)
may fall apart easily and is often trimmed and used for other purposes (maki,
roasting, etc). Another thing to keep I mind is that the older a piece of
salmon is, the 'looser' the flesh will be and the more likely to fall apart.
I don't intend to disparage your local fishmonger by that remark, but keep
in mind that since they usually expect you to cook the fish, it may be a day
or a few days older than what you are served in a sushi bar and therefore
more likely to fall apart as the natural autolytic reactions that occur in
meat will cause it to degrade with time. Look to see how loose the flesh
seems and if it seems to be loose around the connective tissue, it will have
a tough time staying together when you cut it into smaller pieces. You can
always ask your fishmonger to get you some from the back (e.g. 'fresher') if
you are comfortable with asking that and tell him/her that you intend to use
it for sushi. They may even have specifically 'sushi grade' salmon for you,
you never know. I actually buy my fish from a Japanese grocer near me and
they have sushi grade fish specifically for sale. It's more expensive than
going to the local fishmonger, but certainly less than buying it at a
restaurant to take home. Of course, that may not be an option for you I
understand.
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