How to cook salmon so it's really, really good

[drad_dog]

Use a meat thermometer. Then it doesn’t matter how you cook it.

[blondebear]

Oops!

(Well, I **did **search the thread for “blackened” before I posted…:D)

[Infovore]

You could always cook it in the dishwasher…

[SanVito]

Quite simply, you are overcooking it. Invest in a meat thermometer and cook it it is 60C and no more.

Baking it in foil is a simple way to keep the fish moist.

[Nava]

@Gary_T

Yes.

DON’T OVERCOOK IT!! This applies to any fish, really.

If I may,

DON’T OVERCOOK IT!

There, that’s better. Baked salmon (by itself or with peeled shrimp inside; use just enough oil or butter on the pan to keep the fish from sticking to it) is one of those recipes where the perfect timing is “when it smells cooked” (takes between 25 and 30 minutes, depending on whether you’re using an opened, foil-covered or closed pan).

Alternatively, you can pan-fry it, but again with just enough oil to keep it from sticking and again until it’s cooked but no more. You’re trying to cook it, not turn it into grey mush.

[Chefguy]

@D_Odds

Chefguy, I often love your cooking advice. However, for those either not living in the Pacific Northwest or independently rich, farmed salmon is the affordable salmon we will see most often. Personally, I’ll often spurge on sockeye once or thrice when it’s in season, as that is when the prices are lowest. I see king so rarely as to be nearly non-existent outside of high-end restaurants, and I can’t remember the last time I saw pink or chum. Not enough market for those to warrant shipping to the east coast, I guess. Sockeye definitely tastes better than farmed, and doesn’t need a strong sauce or marinade to taste good (maybe just some lemony browned butter spooned over the top). Farmed salmon is fattier, and lends itself nicely to sauces, especially soy-based sauces. My advice to salmon buyers is that if you can’t go out to a local river and scoop them up with the local bears, don’t shy away from farmed, but take advantage of sockeye when it is in season.

Sidenote: I’ve seen farmed salmon (presumably) mislabeled Atlantic salmon - wild Atlantic salmon is endangered and probably shouldn’t be showing up at one’s fishmonger.

ETA: To jz78817’s post, salmon are naturally high in Omega-3 fatty acids, currently believed to be healthful fats. Farmed salmon has a higher fat content than wild salmon, due to not having to swim and compete for food.

I agree with you. My objection to farmed fish is an environmental concern. Pink salmon is what you usually find in canned salmon, not in the seafood case. I miss the days when we stocked our freezer with sockeye every year for free.