I cook a mean steak but I am 0-3 in trying to cook a good to great Salmon filet.
I was just recently at a high end restaurant that had an amazing Salmon filet that I seem unable to replicate. The primary thing I noticed was the filet had an firm, almost cripsy outer layer and obviously moist in the middle.
Here is what I have been doing, tell me where I am wrong or could improve.
First, good quality filet, only cooked fresh or thawed, never frozen
Pre-Heat oven to 400
Salt and pepper, touch of olive oil, squeeze lemon
Place filets each in there own foil “boat”
Cook approximately 10 minutes per inch of thickness
Small amount of butter to finish
Currently when I cook the filets I get a large amount of white “stuff” that looks very unappealing. Does this mean i need to cook longer? Also I am guessing that the restaurant I was crediting with an amazing filet is searing the filet after cooking with high heat and I will try that next week.
Any advice from your seafood experts is appreciated!
I much prefer to pan fry, as it’s easier to control doneness. Use a good, heavy skillet. Salt the fillet. Heat some butter or butter/olive oil at about medium-high. Drop the fillet into the hot fat. Turn the heat down to medium. Let cook on side one for a few minutes, then turn and cook on side two. After a few minutes, start to poke gently at the fillet to see if it’s starting to flake apart where the sections come together. You may have to return it to side one to finish off, but once the sections begin to separate easily, take it out of the pan. I would suspect that the white stuff is just water and emulsified fat.
I prefer salmon grilled, if you can. Start with a nice cut, as you state, preferrably with the skin on one side, then schmeer a little olive oil on the flesh side, then dash salt and pepper. Nothing else - leave the skin side intact and non-oiled.
Heat grill well, but turn down heat before putting the fish on, skin side up. Grill for about 5 min, then check the edges like Chefguy said. Do not remove from the grill until it releases mostly on it’s own, otherwise you will end up with a shredded mess. If you leave it too long, it will be dry. You have to watch it. Optionally, you can oil the skin side and flip it to that side for a few min in case it is a thick section. You can also do this with a panini pan on the stovetop.
The white you are seeing is like fat, which presents when you steam the salmon as well, but it cooked into the flesh when seared over flame, giving you that crispy, non-white finish.
I like it unilateral style. Skin on, in a hot pan or on the grill, skin side down and leave it there. You can put a pan lid over for a little while if you like. Great variety of texture, from crispy and firm at the bottom to an almost custardy, barely done texture at the top.
don’t ever bake salmon
please for the love of everything good in the culinary world.
take a saute pan and put the heat up to HIGH, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. wait for the oil to start letting off whisps of smoke.
salt and pepper your filets, and cook them one at a time (Or if you’re using a bigger pan, maybe up to 2 or 3, but don’t overcrowd the pan. no one like steamed salmon).
salmon is really easy to cook this way. you get a nice crispy crust on the outside, and you’ll be able to tell what temperature (rare/med/not worth eating) just by looking at the center of the filet as it changes color. you can cook a 5-6oz filet in probably less than 5 minutes this way.
I’m a big fan of the 1400 watt convection oven. This isn’t mine which is a $20 cheapy from Aldi. I cook salmon fillets with it set on the Thaw/Wash setting and sear the skin later if I feel like it.
It is hard to describe how the salmon comes out. It’s like it’s cooked but not cooked. It doesn’t seem to lose a drop of moisture and is the most succulent fish you can cook, and you get no fish smell while it does. Mind you it possible to slow cook anything in one. The fact that it’s just cooking in a glass bowl makes it seem less of a drama.
