# How to cook salmon filets.



## novice_01 (May 6, 2008)

I have a question about cooking salmon filets. I've cooked them by poaching them, and it seems like it's a pretty goof-proof way of cooking them - hard to over cook them.

However I'm wondering if I can coat them with egg and bread crumbs and them fry them on the stove top, in an effort to make them crunchy so that they will be more appealing to my 11 year old son.

(I asked this question of the butcher at the fish counter and he, along with a customer who heard me, said it would be hard to cook it that way, but I wanted to check with the more experienced people on this bulletin board.)


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## dc sunshine (Feb 26, 2007)

Hmmm - am thinking that the heat you need to cook anything crumbed may overcook the salmon - it doesn't need that much cooking, as you know, and soon gets overcooked. Maybe do it as a tempura?

Or you could poach it, then flake it, mix with mashed potato, then egg and crumb and turn it into fish cakes. Seeing as everything in there is already cooked, you really only need to brown the crumbs and give it time to heat thru.

Not sure - hoping someone else will kick in here


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Nov,

You're talking about pan frying, not deep frying. There are few fish that pan fry better than salmon, although Americans usually pan fry without a crumb coating. Nevertheless, your egg - crumb is fine. Personally, I'd go with panko or a fresh crumb. 

There's no reason you'd overcook it anymore than you'd overcook it by sauteing or pan frying with or without breading as long as you paid attention to what you're doing. Medium-high heat will tend to undercook the center of a thick piece -- which is very popular right now, but not with kids. Medium-low heat will tend to overcook the center of a thin piece. But not under or overcooking is up to you. You'll have to pay attention to what you're doing. 

What you're thinking of is an A, No. 1 salmon patty. The reason the fishmonger and customer said not fry salmon is because they are absofrikkinlutely clueless when it comes to cooking and to eating. No matter what they say, you're cooking for your son. Go ahead and try it, and ask him what he thinks. 

I suggest either buying thin fillets, or cutting thicker fillets in half to make them thin (about 3/8"). Salmon has a very definite taste, and the higher the surface area to mass ratio the more your kid will like it. Cook them quickly at medium-high in corn oil mixed with butter; just until the breading browns. If you're cooking for adults, you can use the pan to make a beurre blanc, lemon/butter/caper, or brown butter, shallot, parsley sauce -- any of which would be just swell. 

BDL


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## novice_01 (May 6, 2008)

Thanks for the help. I had used the Panko when I pan fried eggplant (coated the eggplant slices first with flour, then dipped in egg, then dipped in the Panko bread crumbs). In this case would I also first coat the salmon with a light coat of flour?

I may try the thinner piece of salmon you mentioned and see how he likes that. 

My son has crohn's disease and fish in general, and salmon in particular, seem to be well reccomended foods for him.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

I've done crumby salmon and had salmon fish and chips - they are good, these folks don't know what they are missing. The crux of the biscuit is getting evenly sized pieces so you don't end up with burnt parts attached to raw parts. Personally, though, I have no aversion to eating raw salmon, so it isn't much of an issue for me. But you may want to try thinner slices of the breaded filets cooked on edge, so to speak, instead of flat. Or dice it up and mix with crumbs, veggies, egg and seasonings for salmon cakes.

Hmmm, salmon meatballs?

mjb.


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## shel (Dec 20, 2006)

Being a curious fellow, I had to look into the concept:

Alaska Salmon Albondiga (Meatball Soup)

Salmon Meatballs Kids Will Love Recipe


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

I like that meatball soup recipe. I can see a pot of salmon meatball cioppino appearing on a stove in my house in the very near future.

And as a quick side note, if you are searching the web for crispy salmon cake ideas, you may want to also look for salmon croquettes, the same sort of thing.

mjb.


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## geese4u (Apr 29, 2008)

Salmon Piccata sounds like something that needs to be tried.


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## chef27 (Sep 14, 2008)

My best salmon recipe is steaming it for about 10 minutes and serving it with a soy + mirin sauce with boiled carrots, celery stick and potatoes. Great taste and healthy!


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