Instructions: Im preparing salmon for tartare, ceviche, fillets and gravlax. I want enough for six people, so my side of salmon (a half of a whole salmon, removed from the bone) is about 6 pounds; I figure about a pound per person if Im going to do all four preparations.

Now you always want fresh fish, but for tartare and ceviche its really important that the salmon be bright orange with a real nice sheen to it. If youre in doubt, press on the flesh. It should have some resistance, like the meaty part of your palm below your thumb.

To take the skin off, I hold the tail end tightly with my left thumb and forefinger, and run my knife between the skin and the flesh, pulling the fish more than pushing my knife.

When I get the skin off, I trim off the thin, fatty sides. I mince all these scraps fine and put them aside in a bowl. This is perfect for tartare.

For my ceviche, I cut thin, almost horizontal slices off of the tail end, carefully placing my free hand on top of the fish above my knife. As I cut off pieces, I can see the sinews in the flesh. The sinewy tail is fine for ceviche, because the acid in my marinade will break down all the fibers. The tail of the fish is like the shoulder of a lamb. Not as tender as chops but very flavorful.

I cut 18 thin, horizontal pieces - three per person - until I can see the eye of the fish. The eyes are the spiral patterns on either side of the blood meat

(that brown strip that runs down the center of the fillet).

Most fish stores will take out the pin bones (these bones really are about the size of pins) for you, but heres how I do it: I run the back of my knife along the top of the fish (from the head end toward the tails to bring the pin bones up a little. Then I get out a little bowl of water and find my fish tweezers or needle nose pliers. Ill use kitchen tongs in a pinch Then I pull the sticky bones out - in the direction they are pointed - and drop them in the bowl of water. A little more than half way down is where the pin bones usually stop.

Now that Ive got the pin bones out, Im going to cut a 1-2 inch-thick piece off the head side of the salmon, which I mince fine and add to the rest of my tartare.

Then Im going to cut off a 4 inch fillet from the tail side for gravlax. I set it aside.

Now Im left with the beautiful belly piece. I split it down the middle along the blood line, which I trim off. Then I cut each half into three steaks. Now Ive got six thick fillets for dinner; a 4 inch fillet for gravlax; a bowl of minced salmon for tartare; and 18 thin slices for ceviche. Im ready to marinate.

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