Martha Stewart's Tip For Perfectly Cubing Your Salmon Filet

Salmon filets are an excellent ingredient to keep in your kitchen. Along with its many tasty preparations, this type of fish is also a very nutritious food. However, in the event you want to cut your salmon filet into small cubes for a specific recipe, you may experience some trouble with keeping the tender fish firm. In this case, Martha Stewart has an ingenious yet incredibly simple tip just for you. The skilled home chef recommends chilling the filet before slicing to keep it nice and firm as you cut through it. 

A chilled piece of salmon will better retain its shape as you make lengthwise cuts, which is key to getting precise cubes. To effectively chill these filets, transfer them to a sealable plastic bag and put them on top of an ice bed. Next, place the salmon and its ice bed in the coldest area of your refrigerator, which is usually on the bottom shelf towards the back. This method can keep your fish safe and delicious for up to three days, while also making it easier to cut when you want to incorporate it into your recipes.

Much like the temperature of the filet, how you cut your salmon filet will make a big difference to the finished product. For the best results, Martha Stewart recommends taking the lengthwise piece of salmon derived from the initial cut and slicing it down the middle. Once you've cut each slice in half, reposition the cutting board to make crosswise cuts, which will result in multiple cubes of fish. As for the size of the cubes, Stewart suggests aiming for pieces that measure approximately one-quarter to one-half an inch.

Along with knowing the most effective kitchen knife hacks, you must also choose the right cutting tool for the job. In this case, you can't go wrong with a salmon knife, which is tailor-made for cutting fish. A sharp, straight knife is essential for getting pieces of seafood exactly how you want them. These knives are also helpful for removing skin and bones from fish, which is useful if you prefer buying whole versions and cutting them into filets in your kitchen. In lieu of a salmon knife, a cutting tool that shares the same characteristics (i.e. sharp, straight blade, etc.) is the next best thing.

Poke bowls offer lots of nutrition and flavors in one convenient package or bowl, as it were. While variations abound, some poke bowl recipes call for salmon, along with shrimp, rice, mayonnaise, avocado, radishes, and onions, among other tasty and nutritious ingredients. Along with flavor, these bowls are all about achieving the perfect texture. Accordingly, properly cutting raw salmon filets ensures that this essential component offers a pleasing toothsome bite.

Salmon cubes are also ideal in cooked preparations, such as searing. In this case, you can take the cubed fish and drizzle it with a sauce consisting of soy sauce, sesame oil, and honey. The small pieces of seafood will sear nicely, and the sauce will imbue this already tasty protein with an unbelievably sweet yet savory flavor. 

Salmon cubes can even be air-fried to get the perfect crispy texture. In this case, feel free to add cubes to salads, or serve them atop rice. For a bit of heat, pair air-fried salmon cubes with a fiery yet creamy sauce featuring hot sauce, mayo, and rice vinegar. Thankfully, there are a million more tasty recipes you can experiment with when you use Martha Stewart's clever salmon-cutting tip in your kitchen.