The salmon.
I had the most exquisite, flavorful salmon fillets I've ever had when I was last in Alaska. The fish wasn't like the salmon I was used to; the meat was buttery, melt-in-your-mouth perfection.
And that's probably because I had been cooking it incorrectly the entire time, much to my astonishment. I thus evaluated five various techniques in an effort to produce fish that was meltingly soft and tasty, and I came up with one obvious winner.
Although the salmon may appear underdone, it has really been cooked to a safe and proper 145°F and is perfect, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Actually, the fish on the left is a little overcooked.
How Should Moist, Buttery Salmon Be Cooked?
With salmon, overcooking is the most frequent error. In fact, we wager that most people have never actually cooked salmon to the point where it melts on your tongue. What you likely consider to be finished is likely overdone.
Similar to steak, salmon may be cooked from rare to well-done within. Sockeye fillets, which are more common for home cooks to come across thanking, are particularly lean and may quickly go from nicely cooked to dried out. Even if a salmon fillet appears to be underdone, it is still safe to eat as long as it reaches 145°F (or 120°F for medium-rare).
Cooking Techniques for Salmon
Salmon is frequently prepared in a wide variety of ways, from pan-seared crispness to low-and-slow roasting. We rely on a number of reliable, weeknight-friendly methods for cooking salmon, it must be mentioned. The two simplest and most popular methods for preparing salmon are on the stovetop with a little oil and in the oven on a sheet tray at 425°F.
But what if I truly wanted to bring the Alaskan salmon that I adored back to life? Which cooking technique yields the most buttery, moist salmon with the least risk of overcooking? Here are the five various techniques I attempted to make salmon that would be the most tender and melt in your mouth.
How I Investigated Salmon Cooking Techniques
Copper River Wild Sockeye Salmon 6-ounce fillets that had been dried off were used for all experiments, along with extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper.
I had a few criteria in mind when it came to evaluating each approach. Initially, I was certain that I desired the meltingly tender fish.
But I needed more than just an evenly cooked, flawlessly flaky fillet; I needed taste and simplicity, with a technique that took little time, effort, or experience.
Salmon preparation: oven-slow roasting
Roast skin-down at 275°F for 15 to 35 minutes, or until desired doneness.
Fish reaches 120 °F in temperature
28 minutes for cooking
5.0 out of 10
Regarding this approach: The apparent first step looked to be slow roasting, but I was concerned that my chosen method, which called for 275 degrees F, was almost too low.
Even while it did take me closer to the longer end of the 15 to 35-minute range for cooking, it got credit for being straightforward: Simply season the fillet, brush it with some EVOO, and let it bake.
Results: It was difficult to remove the fish at precisely 120 degrees; it reported 123 degrees when I pulled it out. I didn't like how frequently I had to monitor the fish's temperature. It was undoubtedly damp. It was so juicy that I nearly didn't think it was cooked.
It was nearly difficult to dry the fish out using this technique because of the low oven temperature and the lack of carryover cooking after it was taken out of the oven. The flavor was only OK, and the flesh was still a vibrant, seafood-counter red and didn't feel nearly as solid as I'd have expected.
It was quite bland since the skin wasn't crisped, the proteins weren't cooked, and the fats weren't rendered. (If you still prefer the hands-off cooking of this technique, however, we believe our own slow-roasted salmon recipe, which adds a lot more flavor and aromatics, may be beneficial for you and would have ranked higher.)
Poached salmon prepared using olive oil
Method Information: To 120°F, heat a deep pan of olive oil. For 25 minutes, bake the fish in the heated oil.
1 hour + 25 minutes for cooking
6 out of 10
Regarding this approach: Tuna is frequently cooked in its own fat using this less common technique, which is similar to salmon confit. I prepared the fillet according to the recipe's instructions, seasoning it and allowing it to warm up before putting it in an oven-safe skillet and drizzling olive oil over it.
If you want the fillet to cook evenly, it's crucial to completely immerse it, which may require using a lot of oil. The oil should be heated over low heat until it reaches 120 degrees F, at which point the entire pan should be placed in an oven that has been prepared to 225 degrees F for 25 minutes.
Results: I'll confess that the salmon from this approach tasted the finest, but what do you expect when you cook anything in fat? The fillet was flavorfully enhanced, maintained moist but not soggy, and cooked to just-yielding perfection with the help of the oil.
However, the method is cumbersome, untidy, and costly (you can recycle the oil, but how frequently are you actually poaching fish?) ... even though the fish was cooked at room temperature throughout, I thought some areas were more flaky and others more rare.
Cooking salmon sous vide
Method Information: Cook for 30 minutes in a sealed sous vide bag at 120°F.
30 minutes of cooking time + at least 30 minutes of marinating
8 out of 10
Regarding this approach: Salmon should be treated similarly to steak, so sous vide may be your thing. Fans adore the accuracy of this method, which essentially involves gradually cooking proteins that have been vacuum-sealed in a water bath.
This allows you to precisely control the degree of doneness of your fish. The accompanying chart recommended 120 degrees F, which was "extremely juicy, delicate, and flaky."
I chose that temperature. I heated the water in the saucepan to that temperature, attached my Joule sous vide, and then put the bag of seasoned, oil-coated fish into the water and set the timer. While I moved away and performed other things, the machine maintained the water's temperature at a steady level.
Results: While the 30-minute cooking time is a little longer than that of other techniques, you don't need to pay attention during that time and may utilize it to prepare side dishes.
Additionally, there is no cleanup necessary afterward, and the fish was excellent and just as stated. My ideal salmon is somewhat firm, flaky, and maybe on the verge of being overcooked, and this one was spot-on.
The only complicated part is that if you want to add any tastes or aromatics, you must use a marinade. Of course, you'll also need a sous vide setup, which is still a rare piece of equipment for most home cooks.
Salmon preparation: baking in a packet of parchment paper
375°F for 12 to 14 minutes in a parchment paper package that has been crimped tight.
15 minutes for cooking
A score of 8.5/10
Regarding this approach: Cooking "on paper" is referred to as "en papillote" in elegant French. The purpose of parchment packets is to prepare individual servings, and they essentially steam the food inside to make it moist and tasty.
I used this technique, but I only used salmon and oil instead of vegetables. I then crimped the edges and baked the entire baking sheet at 375 degrees F.
Results: This is now a quick and safe procedure. Since I was boiling the fish alone, I slightly shortened the cooking time, but the thermometer still registered 144 degrees after 12 minutes.
My fillet wasn't at all as overdone and dry as I had anticipated, which surprised me. While there were some pinker spots than others, overall, it was excellent and yet slightly hard while being wet enough. Additionally, cleaning was simple.
Salmon preparation: pan-seared and brined
Specifics of the procedure: 15 minutes of salt water brining. In a nonstick pan, sear for a total of 12 to 16 minutes, turning once.
Total time spent cooking: about 30 minutes
10 out of 10
Regarding this approach: I've always had great success with wet brining chicken, and salmon lives half its life in salt water, so this technique made sense to me.
I quickly soaked the fillet for 15 minutes, patted it dry, put it in a dry, cold pan, turned the heat to medium-high, and cooked it for 6 minutes on each side. And that's it.
Results: Because I'm impatient, I enjoy anything that can be started in a cold pan. Despite without using any fat, this technique produced fish that was virtually as tasty as fillet that had been fried in oil.
A juicy, flaky fillet that was ideally medium-rare thanks to the brine and higher heat. The center was still pink and tartare-like. It was quick, simple, and delectable. Salmon supper is a winner.
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