Tips on How to Prepare a Salmon Filet
Salmon is low in calories and saturated fat, and high in protein and omega-3 essential fatty acids. Consumption of salmon twice per week provides the body with many benefits, such as reducing blood pressure and decreasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Consumption of salmon at least once a week, combined with broccoli and leafy greens, is a good defense against Alzheimer’s disease. Other health benefits of salmon include protection against some types of cancer, lifting moods and reducing depression.
Researchers at Harvard correlate consumption of broiled or baked fish such as salmon one to five times a week with increased blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids, lower risk of arterial fibrillation, and lower heart rate. Consumption of similar quantity of fried fish however not only fails to provide protection but the free-radical-laden fats can damage to the heart.
Image Credit: flickr.com/James Bowe
Selecting Salmon
Salmon is available either as farm-raised or wild. Wild salmon is your best choice, if available. It has a much better flavor than its farm-raised cousin, and studies indicate the possibility of farmed salmon carrying high levels of contaminants, such as the carcinogenic chemical polychlorinated biphenyl that causes cancer, and other harmful pollutants, such as dioxins. Wild Alaskan salmon, particularly the Alaskan Chinook, is the most sought-after type of salmon.
Inspect your salmon carefully when purchasing, as the government does not inspect seafood stock in the stores. Always buy fresh whole salmons buried in ice, or fillets placed on top of the ice, from a store that you know and trust. The salmon should have a fresh smell to it, and the eyes on a whole salmon should be clear.
Fresh salmon is available as whole, steak or fillet form. The best filets come from the thickest part of the fish, for thickness retains moistness when cooked.
Storage
Refrigerate salmon as soon as possible after purchase. Store it in a cooler during delays in transit from store to home.
Most refrigerators remain slightly warmer than ideal for salmons, necessitating special storage methods to retain quality. One option is wrapping the salmon and placing in a dish of ice at the bottom of the refrigerator where it is most cold, and replacing the ice at least daily.
Salmon purchased fresh lasts for four days under the best storage condition, whereas salmon fished around a week before purchase lasts only for a day or two. Freezing the salmon increase the storage life to two or three weeks.
Preparation
The healthy methods of how to prepare a salmon filet include broiling, baking, grilling and roasting.
Removing the skin is a major pre-cooking consideration for salmon. Salmon skin is edible, but many people do not like the taste, and the scales can harm the mouth. Any bones, particularly the small, thin pinbones, remaining in the fillet also need removal before cooking. A good option to remove the skin when broiling or frying is to quick broil or fry for a minute with the skin on, making it easier to peel the skin off. The actual cooking process then begins by adding other ingredients.
Continue to Page 2 for information on how to prepare a salmon filet by broiling and roasting.
Broiling Salmon Filets
Broiling is a healthy way to prepare salmon fillets. Salmon pairs well with citrus flavors, so add some slices of lemon or lime to the top of the filsh for additional flavor.
- Preheat the broiler on high heat and place a pan some inches away from the heat source for ten minutes. A hot pan seals in the moisture and adds to the taste.
- Place the fillet on the pan skin side down, after marinating with two tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper for flavor.
- A rule of thumb is to cook seven minutes for every inch of filet thickness, but at times salmon filets can cook faster depending on oven temperature and filet size. Constant testing once every two minutes by sticking a knife or fork into the fillet helps prevent burning.
Broiled salmon fillets taste best medium, retaining the pink color inside. A change of color denotes overcooking. When fully cooked, the fillet flakes easily. Cook slightly less than the desired level, for the filet continues to cook for some time after removal from heat.
Top the salmon filets with homemade or store-bought salsa, or serve the broiled salmon fillet on top of salsa, with salad and brown rice as side dishes.
Combining leftover cold salmon with greens and vegetables makes for a delicious salad option.
Image Credit: flickr.com/irrational_cat
Roasting
To pan-roast salmon filets, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. When the oil gets hot, place the salmon steaks on the pan, skin side down. Partially cover the pan and fry for roughly five minutes on high heat, or until the filet starts to become opaque. Flip over the filet with a spatula and cook for additional three to four minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through. Take the filet out of the pan and allow to rest at room temperature.
Add some minted-snap peas to pan roasted salmon filets for a delicious and easy meal. A dish of brown rice, and snap peas with a simple mint dressing, complements the marinated seared salmon filets.
For this menu option, apply a marinade of ginger, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar mixture on the filet before roasting to give the filet a great taste, flavor and color.To prepare the snap peas, boil two quarts of water in a saucepan, add the snap peas, and cook for around two minutes until crisp tender. Drain the water and refresh the peas in cold water. Drain again and blot-dry the peas on paper towels.
Virgin oil, lemon juice, chopped mint, salt, and pepper constitute the ingredients for the mint dressing. Whisk them together in a mixing bowl, add the prepared snap peas, and toss lightly.
Arrange the prepared salmon fillets on a platter and spoon the snap peas around and on top. Serve hot with steamed brown rice.
For the salmon marinade, mix 2 tablespoons each of ginger and soy sauce, and 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. For the mint dressing, combine 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons each of virgin olive oil and lemon juice, 4 to 5 tablespoons of chopped mint, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper.
References
- The C. Rex and Ruth H. Layton Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Center. Fishing for remedies in cognitive decline. https://www.alz.washington.edu/NONMEMBER/PDF/layton.pdf
- Nina Simonds. Pan-Roasted Salmon Served with Minty Snap Peas. Harvard School of Public Health. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/recipes/pan-roasted-salmon/index.html
- The George Mateljan Foundation. 5-Minute Salmon with Mint Salsa. https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=137
- The George Mateljan Foundation. Salmon. https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=104