Back Method

Move the salmon so its head is away from you, its tail is closest to you, and its back is to your right. Slide the knife along the back of the salmon, cutting only about ½ inch in until you reach the tail. Starting again at the base of the head, slide the knife in somewhat deeper until you find the backbone. (This is the tricky part since salmon backbones don’t go all the way out to the edge of the fish.) Once you find the backbone, slide the knife back, again toward the tail, keeping the front part of the knife flush and on top of the backbone. Now that you have the backbone as a guide, slide the knife flush along the backbone while pulling back the top fillet with your left hand. Continue following bone—as long as you’re not cutting through flesh or bone but are just following along the bone you won’t have any problem—until you come to the ribs. You can cut through the ribs and remove them later, but I find it easier to follow them, keeping the knife against them, until I reach the ends of the belly flaps. Continue in this way until you’ve completely removed the top fillet.