Cooking salmon can be a delicious and healthy way to add fish to your diet. However, it’s important to know how to properly wash salmon before cooking it. Washing salmon correctly removes bacteria makes seasoning stick better and leads to more even cooking. Follow these simple steps to learn how to wash salmon like a pro before cooking up this tasty fish.
Why You Should Wash Salmon Before Cooking
Washing salmon before cooking serves several purposes:
-
Removes bacteria and contaminants – Raw salmon can contain harmful pathogens that cause foodborne illness. Washing helps remove bacteria parasites and surface contaminants.
-
Enhances flavor – Washing gets rid of impurities so seasonings and marinades adhere better to the fish. Clean salmon absorbs flavors more readily.
-
Prevents odor – Rinsing fish helps eliminate the “fishy” smell salmon can sometimes have. This leaves you with fresh-tasting salmon.
-
Promotes even cooking – Excess moisture can cause salmon to cook unevenly. Washing off excess liquid means your fish will cook nice and evenly.
Thoroughly washing salmon only takes a couple extra minutes but makes a big difference in safety, taste, and quality!
Supplies You’ll Need
Before getting started washing salmon, gather these supplies:
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife (for scaling and filleting)
- Spoon (for gutting)
- Paper towels
- Large bowl or sink for rinsing
Having these tools handy will make the washing process easy and efficient.
Step-by-Step Guide to Washing Salmon
Follow these simple steps for cleaning salmon before cooking:
1. Rinse the Salmon
Rinse the whole salmon or fillets under cold running water. This washes away any dirt, debris, or ice glaze from frozen salmon. Rinsing also helps loosen scales if the fish isn’t scaled yet.
2. Scale the Fish (If Needed)
For whole salmon that hasn’t been scaled yet, use a knife or fish scaler to scrape off scales. Always scale from tail to head. Rinse again after scaling.
3. Gut the Fish (If Needed)
For whole ungutted salmon, make a shallow cut along the belly from tail to head and scoop out the guts. Rinse the cavity thoroughly.
4. Remove Gills (If Needed)
The gills can give salmon a “fishy” taste. Pull them out gently from the head opening.
5. Trim and Portion the Salmon
Trim fins, tail, and any fat or discolored portions. Cut into fillets or steaks per your recipe.
6. Debone the Fillets (If Needed)
If fillets have small bones, run your fingers over them to locate bones. Pull them out with tweezers or pliers.
7. Rinse the Salmon Again
Give the salmon one final rinse under cold water after prepping.
8. Pat Dry
Dry the salmon thoroughly with paper towels. Drying ensures even cooking and helps the fish take on seasoning.
9. Store Properly
Store washed salmon tightly wrapped in plastic in the coldest part of the fridge (32°F or lower). Use within 2 days.
10. Wash Hands and Clean Up
After handling raw salmon, wash hands, utensils, cutting boards, and surfaces thoroughly with hot soapy water.
Extra Tips for Prepping Salmon
-
Work quickly and store salmon immediately after washing. Leaving fish sitting out can allow bacteria to multiply.
-
When filleting, use a sharp knife and cut in one smooth motion. Sawing causes ragged edges.
-
Check for and remove tiny “pin bones” in fillets by running fingers over flesh.
-
Rinse all tools that touch raw salmon with hot water right away to avoid cross-contamination.
-
Discard used scaling and gutting byproducts properly. Don’t wash them down drains.
-
If desired, leave skin on salmon when cooking for more flavor and moisture.
Ready to Cook Your Clean Salmon
You’re now ready to cook after learning how to clean salmon before cooking. Be sure to cook fish to 145°F internally. Consider delicious preparation methods like:
- Broiling
- Grilling
- Pan-searing
- Poaching
- Baking
Washing salmon is a quick and easy step with big rewards. Following proper washing technique results in fresher, tastier salmon free of contaminants. Your mouthwatering meal starts with clean fish!
Step 3: Remove Fish Scales & Rinse
Depending on the kind of fish and your cooking plans, it may not be necessary to descale your fish. However, it’s often the best way to go (not least because descaling can make handling and cutting into the fish easier).
How to descale a fish? Pretty easy-peasy: Run the back of a knife (or a dull blade), a spoon, or a scaler from the tail toward the head, repeating as necessary to get as many scales off as you can. Turn the fish over and repeat the process on the other side. Wrap up the scraped-off scales in your top layer of newspaper, and rinse off the fish (and your hands and tools).
Step 8: Cook & Enjoy
You might be cooking that beautiful fish of yours whole: as in butterflied, pan-fried trout. Or you may want to prepare fillets (also remarkably easy to do once you get the hang of it) or, in the case of a larger, meatier fish, carve out steaks. You may or may not be skinning your fillets or steaks.
Regardless, there’s certainly a whole galaxy of methods for cooking delicious, couldn’t-be-fresher fish. There’s not much better than a fresh catch cooked over a campfire—or, as you can learn more about in this ingenious hack, in one of our Mountain House pouches, no fire required!
DID U KNOW THIS??? HOW TO CLEAN SALMON #Descalingsalmon #howtodescalesalmon
FAQ
Do you wash salmon before cooking it?
How do you prep salmon before cooking?
It’s not cooked, but it’s “cured” with salt and sugar. You cover the salmon with a dry salt and sugar brine, wrap it in plastic, poke holes in it, and put a heavy weight on it. As it sits overnight, it will toughen up to the correct consistency as it cures and loses moisture. You can then slice it very thinly.
What do you soak salmon in before cooking?
- Make a wet brine. For every pound of salmon, whisk together 2 cups cold water with 22 grams kosher salt (3 1/2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal or 2 tablespoons Morton) until the salt is dissolved.
- Brine for 45 minutes. Add the salmon to the brine and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
- Pat dry. …
- Grill.
Do you wash salmon with vinegar?
Secret tip: Don’t wash with water. Get a paper towel, soak it in vinegar, wipe down both sides of the fillet, pat dry with another paper towel. Your fish will be much sweeter and the process will reveal any hidden bones.