Well, I love salmon and if price were no issue I could have it every day for weeks. I agree that it has a stronger flavor than most fish. I believe that here are a couple here who don't care for it either so I guess you will have to take your chances. I almost always go for simple, but I believe that some others here would concur. I use my BarBQ but I have also used pan frying in a little butter or broiling. I usually simply season with salt and pepper and perhaps fresh dill if available and that's it. I keep my BBQ fairly cool and probably grill for 5 min a side. Pan fry should work great too. You are looking for just cooked to the center.

Te one single important factor for tasty salmon is freshness. Salmon gets fishy very quickly.

Go very low temperature, then get your cast iron pan to extreme hot to create crispy skin.

dcarch

If you liked it at the Chinese buffet and not the nice restaurant, that is a big difference in cooking styles. All Chinese buffets I have been to have salmon poached and skinless and nice restaurants tend to brown it.
So, based on that, I would buy farm raised, - basic salmon at the local grocery store- and bake it in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes (with some seasonings sprinkled on top). It will be done and taste similar to the Chinese buffet. Remove the skin before eating. It should peel off easily.

It's easy enough to poach salmon; in court bouillon for preference, but you don't have to mess with that if you don't want to. Just throw in a piece of onion, celery, carrot and whatever herbs you like in the water with the fish, or add a little wine to the water.

I would never buy farm raised over wild caught, if the wild caught is decently fresh, especially if you are including it in your diet for healthy eating. The farm raised is fed food filled with chemicals and hormones, nothing I'd want to eat.

The species also makes a difference, some are much more strongly flavored than others. Since I live in the PNW, we get fish fresh off the boat almost year round. I don't like it overcooked, and always prefer a fillet over a steak or roast, King, if it's available is my favorite, but is very expensive.

My favorite recipe is similar to Bumblebeez' - but I brush it with olive oil, salt and pepper, put it in a cold oven, turn the heat to 400 and time it for about 16-18 min for a thinner fillet, 20 min for a thick one. It turns out perfect every time. The best way I've ever cooked salmon.

Living in the Pacific Northwest, we eat salmon often. Wild caught mostly, but Copper Canyon is a fave. I like to place the piece on a piece of foil that has been oiled, a good pesto layered over the fish with thinly sliced lemon slices. We use the grill... outside...pretty hot, done in 10 or so min. Our grill has a lid that you close and I imagine you could use a hot oven or broiler the same way. Unless I am really pinching pennies.... I very rarely buy farmed fish.

If you're feeling a bit more adventurous, try this/
Thinly slice a leek and cook in butter and a drop of water until nice and tender. Season. Add a tablespoon of cream and a sprinkling of grated cheese if you like it.
Get a leaf of brick or 2 sheets of filo pastry. Brush it with a little melted butter.
Put the leek mixture in the middleof the pastry and top with the salmon. Scrunch it up to form a round purse. You can tie the top with a little string if it won't stay put.
Bake in he oven for 20mins and you'll have a lovely fragrant crispy parcel to eat.

I've been using Pioneer Woman's method:

Pioneer woman's recipe for perfect salmon

Put your salmon on a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil salt and pepper. Put the salmon in a cold oven turn onto 400 degrees and set the timer for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes you will have perfect flaky delicious salmon.

(I lay the salmon over a bed of sliced onions and sprinkle with Old Bay instead of salt and pepper.)

In my area, the wild salmon I can find is usually thin and not very tasty. I know farm raised isn't the healthiest, but it is served in most restaurants here and what most people are accustomed to. Here, anyway. I like it the best for its fattiness and thickness but sockeye is good too.

I only buy wild-caught, partly for ecological reasons, and the method I use depends on how thick the piece is. If it is thick, I will barbecue it, but if it is thin, I put it in a buttered glass baking dish, sprinkle it with white pepper, fresh dill, lemon juice, melted butter, and capers. Then I cover the pan (with foil, if it does not have its own top) and bake it at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, turn the heat off, and let it rest for 10 minutes more before serving. The cooking time depends on how thick it is. Note that this recipe does not include salt because the capers are salty, and the fish does not need more salt with lemon juice.

If I have leftover salmon, I make a salmon salad with it, adding more capers plus mayonnaise and chopped scallions and tomatoes if I have them. You can also stuff tomatoes with the salmon salad. I also sometimes make salmon cakes, but that is a bit more involved.

Lars

This is a very simple and easy way to prepare salmon. And easy to adapt for one person.

Ready for the oven.

Salmon, like most fish cooks quickly. Rule of thumb is 10 minutes per inch (thickness). I bake at 450ðF.

Salmon with Julienne Vegetables
Salmon Filets or steaks

Adapted from: Umberto Menghi 1978

1 large carrot
1 stalk of celery
1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
1 large shallot
Parsley
White wine
Chicken broth (Optional instead of white wine
Olive oil
. Place salmon filets in a shallow oven proof dish.

Julienne carrots, celery, lemon zest,

chop parsley,
mince garlic
chop shallots

Mix together and spread over top of the salmon.

Pour a little white wine,or chicken broth over the salmon and a squeeze
of lemon juice.

Drizzle with olive oil.

Sprinkle with salt and Pepper

Butter a piece of foil and place loosely on top of fish. Do not seal.

Bake in a 400ð to 450ð oven for approximately 10 to 20 minutes,
depending on the thickness of salmon.

To serve. Place a piece of salmon on plate keeping some of the julienne
vegetables on top.

Leftover cooked salmon - make salmon mousse. Put salmon in food processor and process with some thick dairy - can be cream cheese or mayo - plus salt, pepper, lemon juice to taste. Pretty versatile stuff.

My personal favorite way to eat salmon is cubed and raw with some soy sauce. But baking, broiling, grilling are the popular methods.

If you remove the skin before cooking, don't throw it out. Fry it with oil and salt until crisp, then cut into strips. Nice garnish for a salad etc.

If you are desiring to include salmon in your diet for the health benefits, your first choice would be wild caught. Second choice would be farm raised -NATURAL diet. If the farm raised does not specify natural diet the farm is feeding the salmon corn meal(or something similar) and you will not get the omega 3 benefits.
My family loves salmon and eats it once a week, we love teriyaki salmon under the broiler or on the grill.

Love leftover salmon in a big Caesar Salad!
Or in an omelet with Hollandaise Sauce
Or in a salmon dip

I won't get into the farm-raised vs. wild-caught controversy, but I buy the F-R type. If it has not been frozen previously, I often store it in the freezer and then cook it without thawing at 450 degrees, checking for doneness after 30 minutes. I usually remove the skin before storing it; otherwise, I peel off the skin before cooking.

I have a seasoning mix that I like (the recipe is from Tom Douglas's restaurant in Seattle):

3 tbsp smoked paprika
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp thyme flakes
1 tbsp salt or garlic salt (I omit this)
Black pepper to taste (I use 1/2 tsp)

Rub or sprinkle on.
Sue

Love salmon. My favorite is Bourbon Glaze.

So easy, foil, parchment paper, sliced onion and lemon on top of salmon, 375 for 25 mins or so, done and done. Delish.

I think salmon is best when prepared very simply. Baked in the oven with minimal seasonings or grilled. One of my favorite methods for oven baked salmon is to coat the fillet with mayonnaise., then wrap in foil and bake. Yes, I know that sounds weird but the mayo just sort of melts into the fish and it comes out so succulent and juicy you can't believe. Wasabi mayo is even better :-) Just squeeze with some fresh lemon and serve!

I always splurge and buy more salmon than I need for the meal....leftovers are a must. I'll save them in the freezer and then make salmon loaf. One of my family's favorite dinners.

I think the most important thing about cooking salmon is prepare it simply and do NOT overcook!

another PNW'er who would never countenance farm-raised salmon :-)

Lots of salmon (and Trout) are caught here in Lake Michigan. After trying multitudes of specialty recipes, I can't stand it. About a 1" piece off a smoked filet is edible with a beer., depends who makes it. Will make salmon patties about every 2 years. And have boiled the trout in heavy salt water, served with butter & lemon for "poor man's lobster". Lake Perch is the gourmet item here.

Another lovely way with salmon is a fish cake. Mash some potatoes or just roughly crush them - that's ok too. Cook a slice of salmon and mix with equal parts potato. Add chopped gherkins, capers, a spoon mayo, seasoning. Shape into cakes, dip into seasoned flour and fry til crisp on the outside.

OldFixer-
I grew up in the Midwest and had plenty of walleye, crappie, perch, and bass, but never had salmon from Lake Michigan. I have now lived in the Pacific Northwest for many years where we have ready access to ocean salmon. I still love fresh lake fish when I get back to Minnesota, but I'm wondering if the taste and texture of your salmon might not be considerably different from the salmon we have here, where it is almost a staple in the local diet, and if that could account for your lack of enthusiasm. Have you ever had fresh Alaska or Pacific NW salmon? There's nothing quite like a King salmon steak or filet that's been barbecued on a cedar plank with nothing more than a few sprigs of rosemary. If you don't like that, you definitely don't like salmon.

The quality of salmon changes a lot depending on cooking temperature.

If you have salmon sushi, you know there is no strong salmon fishy taste at all.

I cook salmon at no higher than 125F. At that temperature salmon is very tender creamy in texture and not fishy,

John is correct, salmon cooked at 125F with crackling crispy skin is amazing.

dcarch

Note:
Do your research regarding what kind of fish can be cooked at extreme low temperature. Food safety reasons.

This post was edited by dcarch on Thu, Oct 23, 14 at 8:43

This is a super-simple recipe I've developed that is my go-to dish when I need to quickly throw together a meal to impress. (As in when the wife calls me at work at 5:00 and says "I've invited these people over to dinner, tonight, at 6:00. Do we have any food in the house?")

I find it works best to slice the meat of the fillet into serving sized pieces 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide, but not slice through the skin. Place it on a foil covered baking pan, skin side down, slather on the teriyaki-ginger mixture let it sit for 5-10 minutes while the oven is pre-heating and then simply broil it in the preheated oven (with the broiler temp also set to 400 if your oven can do that)

TERIYAKI-GINGER GLAZED SALMON

Purchase about 1 pound of salmon fillet for every three people. This recipe works best with salmon that is about 1" thick maximum, and fairly uniform in cross-section.

Salmon filet
Teriyaki Marinade
Ginger paste

Combine equal amounts of the teriyaki marinade and the ginger paste, and apply 2-3 teaspoons of the sauce to the salmon filet.

Leave the salmon sit, while the oven preheats to 400 deg F

When the oven is up to temperature, switch it to broil, and place salmon on top rack. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes. If the top starts to get too dark, switch the oven back to bake for the remaining time.

I usually serve the salmon with a rice pilaf and something like steamed broccoli.

Some of the above recipes list cooking times of 20 or 25 or 30 minutes. Really? Based on my experience that would be way, way, way overcooked. Although reading some of them again they specify starting with a cold oven or even starting with frozen fillets. But given that ovens pre-heat at different rates and freezers aren't especially consistent won't that just make it more difficult for the recipe results to be predictable?

My other oft-used recipe is similar to the above but with a homemade remoulade sauce rather than the ginger teriyaki sauce.

Bob, I was surprised at some of the times listed as well. Fish cooks quickly and it is so easy to overcook.

~Ann

Just the day before, "Simply Ming" TV show sous vided salmon. I don't remember the temperature he used.

Modernist recommends 118F, I think.

dcarch

Fresh only, 8-10 min per inch. (depends on the temp of the fish going in. Did it just come out of the fridge or is it up to room temp?)Take it out of the pan, oven, or poaching liquid to finish while you plate up the other things for dinner. Poached is super, get lots and refrigerate the rest for flaked in a tossed salad with balsamic vinegar/olive oil with a few kalamata olives. My rule of thumb with any fish is to cook it until the middle 1/4" is still raw. Then let it sit (off the heat source) to finish. Perfect every time. Overcooked fish is why many people don't like fish.

-Babka

Among the people I know, the thought of undercooked fish, "raw"! is what makes them so leery of fish. I have several friends who will only eat well done cooked salmon. And never the skin. It's ok, we all have our hang ups.

I've never tried these, was not very fond of fish dishes unless fried or eating from a Japaneses restaurant. But the image above looked delectable, recipe looked simple enough. I might wanna try these. Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: Omega 3

I grew up in Chicago where on Fridays we had frozen lake perch (in a 1 lb box) or potato soup. Got married and moved to the SF area. Fish is my meal of choice now, IF it is cooked properly. Each one has its own flavor, the more mild ones need some herbal help. My eye-opening moment was when I went up to SF and dined at a fancy restaurant. I had fresh halibut that was like butter, not the dried out frozen crap I had growing up in Chicago. I'm going past 70, so understandably things have changed over the last 40 years since I've been in Chi town, but people, do yourself a favor and get some fish cooked properly, you won't go back to chewy filets of beef that require a serrated knife. Salmon is wonderful grilled, poached or pan fried (and oven finished). Leftovers are wonderful in a green salad with kalamata olives, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Try it, you'll like it! Ask Mikey.

-Babka

Unfortunately, too many people in the U.S. have grown up eating tasteless, badly seasoned, unidentifiable pieces of cheap fish, or were served mushy fish sticks in the school cafeteria, and are unwilling to have much fish in their diets as adults because they are unaware that properly cooked fresh or freshly frozen fish can taste completely different.

We love salmon all ways posted...grilled, smoked, poached, cold the next day with mustard horseradish cream, etc.
Not fond of sweet glazes but even though bourbon can be sweet, it is a nice balanced glaze with lemon and butter.

I buy the wild alaskan frozen. As well as scallops and shrimp and often have a mixed grill in the summer months or steamed/broiled in the winter. Often once a week.
Holidays for a crowd i look for a whole fresh wild caught.

The initial purchase does seem expensive but doing the math with a bag of fillets, shrimp and scallops...two fillets of salmon, 6 large shrimp and 4 large scallops...a mixed grill with some lamb sausage and a shell steak makes 6-8 meals with sunday brunch leftovers, maybe a pasta dish sunday night and a couple sliced steak sandwiches
for monday lunch.
All for the cost of one good meal out...we rarely eat out these days.
About cooking times, low heat and slow...
This cedar planked looks over-cooked but it was still partially frozen and warm smoked so slightly rare. (side fire box ... no direct heat)

I would avoid the foam/saran wrapped packaged salmon and try frozen wild caught and maybe smaller portions with a mixed seafood meal. Shrimp cooks about the same time. The simpler the better topped with thin slices of lemon and a fresh herb like dill or thyme. Broiled or wrapped in parchment and steamed.

You may just not like the distinctive flavor of salmon. I don't care much for fresh tuna unless it is heavily peppered and hot seared, raw in the middle. Or sushi.

Salmon is a once a week meal for us year round.

kudzu
with no natural reproduction in our fresh water, Lake Michigan, the original salmon were imported from the NW (1966). Now there is annual stocking from the hatcheries. Never adapted to the new taste over the fresh water white fish. If I came to visit and your treat was to buy a salmon dinner, be sure to order a cheeseburger on the side.

My hubby had a heart attack in January.He wants salmon every nite.I buy a piece in frozen section cut it in portions,cheaper.I make it different every nite.Just get on internet put in salmon recipes.I must have made 30 different recipes already.His cholesterol dropped dramaticallyHe lost20Lbs.They say he needed to lose 20 I didn't see it now he looks too thin.