Salmon truly is a wonderful fish – its high oil content makes it smooth in texture and rich in flavour, plus it’s packed full of omega-3 and essential fatty acids which we all need to keep our blood cholesterol healthy, and vitamin B12, which aids psychological function. On top of all that, its mellow flavour makes for an easy introduction to fish for kids.
As well as giving you a bit of background info, I’m going to show you the top techniques you need to cook amazing salmon at home – from basic cooking skills, such as pan-frying, roasting, poaching and steaming – to making the perfect accompanying sauce.
MethodTo poach the salmon, place it in a fish kettle or a large roasting tin. … Peel and roughly chop the onion and carrots, and trim the celery, then place in the water with the salmon. … Once boiling, switch off the heat and allow the water and salmon to cool – it’ll take around 5 hours.
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To poach the salmon, place it in a fish kettle or a large roasting tin. …
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Peel and roughly chop the onion and carrots, and trim the celery, then place in the water with the salmon. …
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Once boiling, switch off the heat and allow the water and salmon to cool – it’ll take around 5 hours.
FARMED ATLANTIC VS WILD PACIFIC
In general, we can divide salmon into Atlantic and Pacific categories. Many years ago, we could enjoy wild caught Atlantic salmon coming up the rivers from European countries such as Norway and Scotland. Unfortunately, our unlimited demand for salmon took its toll, and apart from some small-scale local activities, there are no commercial wild Atlantic salmon left. This forced us to start farming salmon, and now Norway, Scotland and Chile have big industries to match our enormous demand for this tasty seafood.
Wild Pacific salmon can still be found in areas such as Alaska, British Columbia and the Russian coast. Most of the wild salmon on the market is Alaskan, and is usually one of five species. Each of them has two specific names, one American and one Inuit:
- Chum or KetaRelatively small fish, mainly lightly-pink coloured, frozen or tinned
- Humpy or PinkColour is in the name, mainly used for the tinned market
- Red or SockeyeThe meat is red-coloured, often used as fresh or smoked
- Silver or CohoAmazingly silver-coloured skin, often used as fresh or smoked
- King or ChinookThe best of the best – a large fish
Donal’s Perfect Poached Salmon
FAQ
How do you poach salmon?
Do you take skin off salmon before poaching?
Is honey baked salmon good for Weight loss?
Salmon is a source of omega-fatty acids. It is good for brain function and preventing heart disease. However, When considering weight loss, there is a simple equation we have to take into account. We consume energy as we boost energy. Losing weight needs a reduced consumption of energy or extra physical activity. Honey-baked salmon by itself does not affect our metabolism in losing weight.
Does poached salmon fillet have a preservative?
I want easy, otherwise I might as well stick with shop-bought. Even readymade poached salmon fillet has two added ingredients: salt and ascorbic acid, AKA synthetic vitamin C, though it’s not included here for any health benefits but as a preservative.
Can you use chicken stock to poach salmon?
To give the salmon a good flavour, try using stock as your poaching liquid – both fish and vegetable stock work perfectly, but you can use chicken stock if it’s all you’ve got in. Start by seasoning the salmon fillet or steak well with sea salt and black pepper.