Anonymous wrote:We are trying to eat healthier in our house with fish once a week. But no matter how I make salmon no one likes it. It came out too mushy in the air fryer. Baking seems to leave half overcooked and half undone. I pan fried it last night and it was awful. I find it overcooked at restaurants sometimes too. I do like it with sugary sauces but that seems to defeat the purpose. Given how expensive it is, what’s the trick to making it well? Or is there another fish that’s easier to work with (and without the mercury or tuna?).

Pour half stick melted butter over the salmon fillets and sprinkle with whatever spices you want, and wrap in tin foil on a cookie sheet in the oven at 370F for about 15 min, then finish it with a quick broil to brown it some.

I'm the pp who laid out the two methods, I read some other posts and wanted to add a couple things

I talked about albumen like you know what it is. Whenever salmon starts to leech a white substance, you have overcooked it, that white substance is called albumen, it is a protein that is excreted when the fish is cooked.

I agree with other posters that you should always cook salmon the day you buy it. The fresher the better.

And don't be too hard on yourself for pan frying, pan frying skin on fish is a significant cooking skill that requires practice. I messed up quite a few fish before I could do it. Same with grilling (a way I love salmon). Don't take failures as total discouraging events, cooking is a skill that has to be learned. And you would never expect someone to some out and be shooting three pointers immediately at basketball.

It is ok to just not like it, truly. But I have two go to's and both are big hits in my family.

1) cut 1 inch ish filets and put them in a ziplock with like (I don't measure this so the measurements are really not important but i'll try) 1/4 cup EVOO, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup rice vinegar, juice of one lime, 3 TBS honey, a squirt of siracha, 1.5 TB ginger, 2TBS garlic, sesame seeds. Taste it before putting the fish in and it should be tangy, salty and a bit sweet but not too much.

2) Preheat oven to 450, let fish marinade while it preheats.

3) Get a sheet pan and put some asparagus (or broccoli, whatever, a veg) on one half of the pan. Season with EVOO/S/P/GP.

4) When oven is preheated, take your filets out of the bag and put them skin side down on the other half of your sheet pan

5) Cook at 450 for 12-14 minutes (depending on the size of your filets). Then turn the broiler on for 2-3 minutes (this will create kind of a nice crispy top)

I think you should err on the high side of those times since you seem to not want that more underdone kind of salmon (I personally prefer it to be RIGHT on that line). If you see a single speck of white albumen pull the pan out.

Alternatively, preheat oven to 450, get a baking dish and put your filets skin side down. Put pats of butter on top of the filets and slices of lemon on top of the pats. Put that in the oven for about 15-16 minutes (I can't endorse 18). Again, watch for albumen.

To me the second method gives you a more traditional fish prep and could also be done with a more mild white fish. But the first is my go to.

Anonymous wrote:So smelly too. Pick another fish OP.

I love to bring my leftovers to work for people like you.

Anonymous wrote:Salmon is nasty. But the posters in the Food Forum LOVE it for some reason.

Salmon is most certainly not nasty, you dimwit. It's fine if you don't like it, but most people do.

Eat it raw. Much better. You can thaw Costco farm-raised salmon fillets and make into sushi or poke.

Anonymous wrote:I brush it with olive oil, season it with salt and pepper, and then roast it in the oven at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes. I like it cooked all the way through but not dry, and that usually does the trick.

This, but we top with a seasoning called Feisty Fish. Make sure you’re buying a good cut. We like responsibly farm raised from Norway.

So smelly too. Pick another fish OP.

I air fry it at 380 with a dry rub for 9ish minutes and it comes out perfect - not mushy at all. It tastes better medium rare to medium and as long as you’re buying decent salmon from a reputable grocery store, it is totally safe to eat.

I buy the Trader Joe’s “fresh” BBQ-cut salmon. People will argue that it’s not good because it’s farm raised, but if you don’t care for fishiness, it tastes much better and has a better texture (not stringy) than wild.

The key is to use a meat thermometer to cook the salmon to the correct temperature.

Anonymous wrote:If you want to learn to like salmon, go to Mike's American Grill in Springfield, and order their cedar plank salmon, either as an entre or on their goat cheese salad.

It is the best salmon you will ever eat.

Most of the GARs offer this salmon.

If you want to learn to like salmon, go to Mike's American Grill in Springfield, and order their cedar plank salmon, either as an entre or on their goat cheese salad.

It is the best salmon you will ever eat.

I always assumed the grey bits were healthy and I never noticed a fishiness to it.

I don't know why I never thought to broil. I Pan sear the top for a few minutes on medium-high heat (after seasoning) then transfer to one to bake. Comes out great.

Anonymous wrote:Our whole family really likes the salmon rub from Trader Joe’s. It’s salty smoky and sweet. You rub a LOT on each piece. We usually grill them on cedar planks but if it’s bad weather we do it in the oven. Use a meat thermometer to get the timing right.

I love this rub!! I make salmon in the air fryer and it's delicious.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Remove skin when serving

Are you trying to start a fight? Cue the hipster wanna be chefs…

I think it would be more appealing for newbie fish eaters.

You definitely have to remove the skin and the grey layer. That’s where the stink lives and the part that tastes the most fishy. 🤢