Cuts of Salmon

With salmon, one size does not fit all. There are a few basic categories of cuts, each with its own treatment and purpose. Small fillets and steaks are great for fast weeknight meals, while a whole side of salmon is an easy and elegant main course for a dinner party.

Salmon fillets are the most commonly used cut of the fish, and for good reason: removing the pin bones is simple, and the cut lends itself to all methods of cooking. A fillet can be a small section of a boned side, intended to serve one or two people, or it or an entire boned side to serve a crowd.

With or without skin? That depends on how you expect to cook the fish. Certain methods, like pan-frying fillets, are designed to give you crispy skin, and that skin is delicious. For poaching fish, however, the skin can be removed before cooking and discarded.

For filleted, skinless fish, about six ounces per person is an average portion. With skin, add another ounce.

Farmed vs. Wild

There are significant differences between farmed and wild salmon. Wild salmon comes from Pacific waters, and has a silky texture and a brilliant vermilion hue. It has a superior taste, with fewer calories and less fat than farmed salmon. It is also expensive, and there is less of it in the market. Farmed salmon is much more plentiful, and cheaper. It comes from Atlantic salmon stock, and bears the color of the feed it is given, most often the light pink flesh we associate with “salmon.” There are significant environmental concerns surrounding the farming of salmon.

WILD SALMON

The wild salmon sold in the United States come from the Pacific. (Salmon has all but disappeared in the wild in the Atlantic, and the pockets that exist are reserved for sport fishing.)

The season for Pacific salmon lasts from May to September; if you see it outside of those months, it has been frozen, though it will still be delicious. Wild salmon is usually more expensive and less readily available than farmed, but if you can get it, do it; it will elevate your meal.

The most prized is Chinook or king salmon, which is the largest and most succulent of the species. Sockeye salmon, with its deep vermilion red flesh and firm texture, has acquired a following, especially when it’s from the Copper River in Alaska. Coho or silver salmon is a milder-tasting salmon and is generally wild, though there is some farm-raised Coho salmon.

Steelhead trout is is a fish in the Pacific salmon genus. It has meaty pink flesh and comes in small sizes, which like two to three pounds that makes it convenient to cook whole. Tasmanian sea trout or ocean trout is another fish with salmon-colored flesh that’s closely related.

1. SEASONAL AVAILABILITY FOR WILD SALMON

   May – September	King
   May – August	Sockeye
   Early May – June	Copper River Sockeye
   June – September	Coho
   July – September	Pink

2. FARMED SALMON

   Readily available all year round, farmed salmon generally has a rich, mild flavor, but lacks the salinity of wild salmon. It is also more affordably priced. Much of the farmed salmon in the United States is Atlantic salmon, though there are now some operations in the Pacific. (Some high-quality king salmon, branded Ora, is farmed in New Zealand.) Some of the farmed fish is labeled organic, but that term, when it comes to creatures swimming in the sea, is controversial.

   Arctic char, which is also in the salmonidae family, is usually farm-raised in the most northern reaches of the Atlantic. The fish has deep orange-pink flesh and a texture that is more delicate than that of regular farmed salmon. And because Arctic char is small, about 3 pounds, it is also an appropriate choice for cooking whole.

   Genetically modified salmon, which has a growth hormone gene from king salmon so it will grow two to four times faster, has been approved for sale in the United States. It will be at least a couple of years before it reaches the market, however.

Removing Pinbones

Salmon fillets and sides have pinbones, the inch-long, flexible bones that stick up vertically in a row down the center of the fillet. Removing them is an easy maneuver; you don’t have to do this, but it makes for a prettier piece of fish and easier eating. A pair of pliers and a simple technique will get you smooth, boneless salmon. Here’s how.

Lay your salmon fillet flat on a board or on a sheet of foil on your counter, skin side down (even if there is no skin). Run your hand across the surface of the fish. You will feel a ridge of the tiny bones sticking up.

Starting at the thickest end of the fillet, use needle-nose pliers to grab the tip of the bone and firmly yank it out. There may be as many as 20 of these bones in a whole fillet.

Cooking on the Stovetop

Cooking salmon on the stovetop is the ultimate in ease: if you don’t want to heat up your oven or spend too much time in front of it, sautéing a fillet is the way to go. Or if you’re looking for a low-fat option, poaching salmon produces tender, clean-tasting fish.

SAUTEING

Sautéing salmon means to cook it quickly in a little fat over fairly high heat. The method is easy and fast, and it works best for fillets, making it a great way to get a delicious weeknight dinner on the table.

Here’s how to do it:

In a nonstick skillet, melt about 1 tablespoon butter over medium high heat and cook until foam subsides and turns deep gold in color, about 3 minutes.

Season the fillet with salt and pepper and add to pan, skin side up. Cook without turning for about 6 minutes, until fish turns deep brown. Flip the fish and cook until done to taste, 2 to 4 minutes longer.

POACHING

Poaching salmon gives you cleanly cooked fish that makes a beautiful palette for sauces, or a delicious base for salmon salad, croquettes or burgers. It’s also a good way to get perfectly cooked fish without any added fat.

Here’s the basic method:

Fill a sauté pan with enough water to cover a fillet, and lower the fish in. Sprinkle in salt, a few peppercorns and a bay leaf.

Bring the water to a fast simmer, and turn off the heat. Cover the pan and let the fish cook for 20 to 30 minutes. The salmon should be medium-rare.

Note: To add extra flavor to your poached fish, try using a classic court bouillon, a simple cooking broth that is simmered for 20 to 30 minutes with slices of lemon and onions, herbs, salt and pepper. There should be enough to submerge the fish in a pan that the fillet or fillets with fit. Use it in place of the water in the basic cooking method above.

Cooking in the Oven

Salmon cooked in the oven is a shortcut to dinner bliss. It produces a beautifully burnished entree, it works for all cuts, and it allows you to focus on another part of your meal while the fish cooks. Just watch your cooking time.

SEARING AND ROASTING

Roasting salmon fillets in the oven gives you beautiful, succulent fish that doesn’t require constant attention. This method, which we recommend if you’re cooking four or fewer fillets, has you sear the fish in a pan on the stovetop first, which crisps the skin delectably. Then you transfer the fish to the oven for an even finish and succulent flesh. Be sure to use a pan that can move safely between stovetop and oven, like a cast-iron skillet, and don’t crowd it with too many pieces of fish.

This is a method that works well with other types of fish, so it’s a good one to put in your arsenal.

Here’s how to do it:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a cast-iron skillet, melt about 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Add one 6 to 8-ounce, skin-on salmon fillet, with the skin side down. Cook for 3 minutes over high heat to brown the skin, spooning some of the melted butter over the top of the fish as it cooks.

Transfer the pan to oven. Roast until fish is just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

Note: for even crispier skin, lightly dust the skin side of individual portions of fillet with flour before placing them in the pan.

ROASTING

Roasting fillets by using a baking dish, sheet pan or roasting pan is a simple and delicious way to cook a larger number of fillets at once, though the skin will not be as crisp as that on the seared-and-roasted fillets above. These fillets look most appetizing with a seasoning or glaze brushed on top. (You could also use a version of this method to cook a whole side of salmon for a crowd; here’s an excellent recipe for that.)

Here’s how to roast a pan of smaller fillets:

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the fillets skin-side down on a lightly oiled, foil-lined sheet pan. Season them with salt and pepper and whatever else pleases you: Chinese five-spice powder, perhaps, or a mixture of brown sugar and mustard.

Slide the pan into the top half of your oven. The fillets should be cooked to medium in about 12 minutes.

BROILING

Broiling gives a tasty and attractive burnish to the top (skinless) surface of fillets or steaks, and it is not necessary to turn the fish.

A delicious way to do this is on a wooden plank. Fish markets and cookware stores sell untreated cedar and apple wood planks, but never use pine as it will give the fish the flavor of resin. The plank should be soaked in water before use. Otherwise, use a sheet pan with sides, lined with foil if you like.

Here’s a simple method:

Heat the oven broiler to very hot. Position the oven rack so the salmon is no farther than four inches from source of heat.

Broil salmon three to five minutes, watching carefully, until top is attractively browned and fish is slightly undercooked in the middle. If you like salmon done this way, remove from oven and transfer to serving platter. Otherwise, shut off broiler and leave salmon in hot oven another three to five minutes, to desired degree of doneness. (We’ll show you how to check for that.)

Note: A foolproof treatment for broiled salmon is to spread regular mayonnaise, either store-bought or homemade, on salmon fillets before cooking. This flavorful coating – it’s an old trick – will become beautifully dappled and toasty-looking, and keep the fish moist. The mayonnaise can be seasoned with mustard, sriracha, garlic, tomato paste or whatever flavor profile might please you. It’s delicious.

EN PAPILLOTE

Salmon cooked en papillote, which means wrapped in a packet of parchment (or foil), is a dramatic way to procure perfectly cooked salmon, but it isn’t difficult. You fold a fillet into a cut piece of parchment, and then layer it with seasonings or perhaps vegetables or citrus fruit. Then you simply bake the packets until done.

The steam created by the parchment produces reliably moist salmon, and opening the individual packets at the table makes for a fun way to start dinner.

Here’s how to do it:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut a large heart-shaped piece of parchment or foil and place it on a sheet pan. Fold the parchment or foil in half down the middle, place a fillet with its garnishes on one side of each, fold the other side over and crimp the rounded edge tightly closed.

Place in oven for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how done you’d like to serve the salmon. The packages should puff up and make for dramatic serving.

Grilling

Grilled salmon is an earthy, simple way to cook the fish and gives it a particularly smoky, deep flavor. A perfectly grilled piece of salmon is a wonder of summer. And the method even works for whole salmon, if you’ve got a large enough grill.

Salmon fillets, steaks and even whole fish are excellent cooked over fire, particularly on a charcoal grill. Steaks are easiest to handle and turn on the grill. Fillets are best grilled with the skin on (cook them skin side down first). Consider buying a grill basket for the fish, which simplifies the process of cooking several pieces at once.

Here’s how to grill salmon simply:

Heat your coals or gas grill burner very hot. Brush salmon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the fish skin side down on the grate. Cook salmon for about 5 to 6 minutes, then flip. (Here’s one key tip: If the fish is sticking to the grill grate, then it’s not ready to flip.)

Cook for another 3 to 10 minutes, depending upon how hot your fire is. The fish is done when the interior is cooked to your liking and exterior is crisp.

Checking for Doneness

Salmon, like tuna, can be enjoyed when it’s still on the rare side in the middle and quite moist. Just how rare is a matter of personal preference. Read on to learn how to tell when your fish is ready.

An easy way to test for doneness is to look at the color. Slide a sharp knife into the thickest part of the fillet and peek at the flesh inside; rare salmon will have its original vermilion flesh (above, far left), while medium will be pale pink (far right), and medium-rare will fall in the middle.

The test that chefs use is easy and reliable. Poke the tip of a paring knife or a thin metal skewer into the center of the fish and touch the side of it – not the point – to your face between your chin and lower lip. If it feels cool the fish will be rare in the middle; warm means medium-rare and hot shows that the fish is thoroughly cooked through.

Sauces

Perfectly cooked salmon is delicious on its own, but the right sauce will add a new dimension and turn a weeknight dish into dinner party fare.

An emulsion is a fat-based sauce with flavorings blended in. They can be tricky to prepare and especially to hold without breaking but they are classic accompaniments for salmon.

Uncooked emulsions include vinaigrette, easy to prepare and quickly reconstituted by whisking or shaking in a covered container if it separates. Mayonnaise is another uncooked emulsion. It can be made by hand or machine.

Cooked emulsions are usually butter-based, with the warm butter whisked into a base that might just be a wine or vinegar reduction, as in a beurre blanc, or a richer egg-based mixture as for the classic hollandaise and its tangy cousin, béarnaise.

Seasoned butters, like anchovy butter, or flavored oils can be drizzled on cooked salmon to good effect.