How To Cook Salmon

Proper thawing is essential for best results. All fresh frozen salmon should be thawed in the refrigerator and never in cold water or at room temperature. Thaw time for all products (except dressed) is 24 hours in refrigerator. Dressed fish take 2 days on top shelf of refrigerator.

We love to marinate our salmon overnight while it is thawing. Store marinating salmon in an airtight container or wrap in tin foil if cooking in the oven.

SIMPLE MARINADES:

• Olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice/zest/slices, dill, garlic

• Soy sauce

• Salad dressing

• Olive oil, salt, pepper, mayo, paprika

• Olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin, brown sugar, chili powder, soy sauce

Salmon can be cooked SO MANY WAYS. The simplest, most accessible are in a skillet or the oven.

SKILLET:

• Melt some butter and olive in a cast iron or pan, not too much or it will steam your fish, we want it crispy on the outside.

• We love to sprinkle on some corn meal, salt, pepper, dill and garlic but you can add whatever and anything you like!

• Cook skin side down and check frequently.

• You can flip it flesh side down at the end and blast with heat for a minute or less to get things crispier.

OVEN:

Cooking times in the oven vary greatly depending on the size and thickness of the piece or fillet.

• We cook our salmon between 300°-375° with the flesh side up and uncovered.

• At the end, you can turn on the broiler and cook for a couple more minutes to get things nice and crispy.

• Check pieces after 12 minutes. Check fillets after 15 minutes. Steaks and portions take a lot less time, king salmon and bigger fillets take longer, adjust checking times accordingly.

• Remove from oven before you think it is done! This is the crucial step to not overcook because salmon will keep cooking after you take it out of the oven.

GRILL:

Avi’s grilling trick is to use slow heat so the salmon cooks all the way through without getting overdone on the thinner edges. Melt butter in a small saucepan on the stove, squeeze in a lemon or lime, add a ton of garlic powder so it almost becomes a paste. Paint your salmon on the grill with the paste. Remove fish before you think it’s done because it will keep cooking.

BROIL:

• Broil with the skin up facing the heat of the broiler. This protects the salmon from drying out.

• Broil until the skin in blackened.

• Turn the piece over and broil for no more than one minute.

POACH:

• Gently poach salmon in a skillet with some white wine.

• Pour on a bit of flavored olive oil just before removing from pan.

COOK DIRECTLY FROM FROZEN:

We’ve all been there, it’s dinner time and you forgot to thaw your salmon! Don’t panic! You can cook your salmon from frozen in a skillet like you normally would but with a few important tweaks.

• First, don’t season your salmon before cooking it, spices can’t permeate a frozen block of fish.

• Start cooking flesh side down, cook until lightly browned then flip salmon so it’s skin side down and add spices.

• Cover the skillet so the salmon steams, this will help cook it through. Because the skin is against the hot pan during steaming it will crisp up instead of getting soggy.

• This technique takes just about the same time as cooking thawed salmon in a skillet, but test for doneness by flaking an edge or the thickest part with a fork.

REMOVE PIN BONES:

Tail pieces have a few pin bones on the thicker side. Breast pieces have a row. Pull pin bones out before marinating and cooking so you can enjoy the cooked salmon without bones.

• Grab a pair of pliers.

• You can find the row of pin bones just above the lateral line in the thickest part of your piece or fillet. The pin bones stop about half way towards the tail.

• Gently press down your forefinger and middle finger to support the salmon around the pin bone you’re pulling out with the pliers so you don’t tear the flesh.

GOLDEN RULES FOR
COOKING SALMON

1. THAW FOR 24 HOURS IN THE REFRIGERATOR

2. DO NOT OVERCOOK

3. REMOVE FROM HEAT BEFORE YOU THINK IT IS FINISHED

4. KEEP IT SIMPLE AND ENJOY!