We all know we need to be getting more fish in our diet, and salmon is one of the most readily available and popular but many people just don’t know how to cook salmon.
Salmon is packed with omega-3 fats, or essential fatty acids, which are commonly understood to contribute to healthy brain function, happy hearts, well-oiled joints and general wellbeing. Scientists have now also posed that eating more fish and consuming fish oil may lower risks of cancers Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, depression and diabetes.
Luckily for the non-chefs amongst us, salmon is delicious raw in sushi and sashimi but if raw fish ain’t your bag then you may need a few hints on how to cook salmon to perfection.
Salmon is very versatile and lends itself easily to grilling, barbequing, steaming or pan-frying.
Took cook the salmon you must first prepare it by gently running your fingers over the flesh to ensure there are no bones. Often they will be in a line similar to a seam. Remove bones with kitchen tweezers. This process is called pin-boning, just ask Heston.
Salmon skin is often removed but if you know how to cook it well it comes up deliciously crispy and tasty and it adds another element to your plate.
Season the skin generously with salt and pepper.
To cook one salmon fillet, heat a little olive oil on a heavy-based fry pan with a teaspoon of butter over a medium high heat. Use a little more oil and butter if you are cooking multiple salmon fillets.
Test oil by flicking a drop of water onto it and if it sizzles, it is ready. Place salmon skin side down and leave for 6-7 minutes until the skin is crispy.
When golden brown and crisp, flip the salmon and leave for one minute before removing from heat and leaving to sit in the hot pan for a further three minutes.
Serve with a squeeze of lemon and a salad.
Cooking times vary dependant on the size and thickness of the salmon fillet but if you are cooking multiple pieces is best to endeavour to get pieces that are roughly the same size so as to eliminate much of the guess work and having some over cooked and some undercooked.
Salmon is a fish that is often eaten cooked medium, which is still only gently pink in the middle rather than cooked right through. This is a personal choice but when you order fish in a good restaurant it will generally arrive at the table still slightly translucent in the middle.
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