Salmon is a great fish for all sorts of quick and easy recipes. Its healthy omega-3 oils keep it moist and succulent (even if it’s been in the pan a moment too long), its skin crisps up beautifully and its peach-pink flesh looks lovely on the plate. Its close cousin, ocean trout, works just as well in all salmon recipes.
Always cook salmon with the skin on, as the oil in it adds flavour to the flesh. The skin also protects the delicate flesh from the heat of the pan. Pan-fry salmon skin-side down until the flesh is opaque two-thirds of the way up the side, then turn it over and cook the other side for just a minute. Remove the skin before serving if you prefer not to eat it.
Preheat the pan, oven or barbecue before adding the salmon – it should sizzle when you put it in the pan.
Cook salmon in batches rather than overcrowding the pan, which drops the temperature too much so the food stews rather than fries.
Trout and salmon are close cousins, both members of the salmonid family. They’re very similar in flavour, appearance and texture and ocean trout is interchangeable with salmon in virtually all recipes.
Salmon and ocean trout are very similar. Ocean trout has a distinctive red/orange band down the centre of its sides and its flesh is a slightly deeper colour than that of salmon. See image here.
Trout and salmon are close cousins, both members of the salmonid family. They’re so similar in flavour, appearance and texture that ocean trout is interchangeable with salmon in virtually all recipes.
Ocean trout is raised in sea cages and grows to a similar size to salmon. Rainbow trout is grown in freshwater and typically harvested plate-sized (350–500g). Ocean trout has a richer, oilier flesh and a darker orange colour.
Remove fish from the fridge 30–60 minutes before cooking to let it come to room temperature.
Use paper towel to wipe the skin dry and, if whole, wipe out the belly cavity to remove any traces of blood or offal. Do not wash the fish or put it under water.
Salt skin well before cooking as this flavour sit and also helps prevent it sticking to the pan.
Remove fish from the fridge and set it aside, away from direct sunlight, to allow it to come to room temperature before cooking. This typically takes about 1 hour with whole fish depending on the size of the fish and the air temperature.
After cooking, all fish should be ‘rested’ for a few minutes to allow the juices to return to the centre of the fish. Do this by setting it aside in a warm place (not on direct heat). This is especially important with whole fish and large pieces of fillet. Salmon is also delicious served at room temperature, especially when it’s been poached.
