Help with cooking salmon? I have never cooked it before...
 

Either tonight or tomorrow I'm making salmon with a lime butter sauce (only I'm using smart balance as the 'butter'). I have never cooked fish before, never have even been a big fan of fish but have been wanting to try salmon.

I'm planning on using one of those mini indoor grills (you know, the ones that just sit on your countertops and that drain off the grease).... or should I cook it in the oven so the juices don't run away from the salmon?

Also, what does a 'done' salmon look like? Is it still pink in the middle? I think I recall Rachael Ray saying something about it, but I can't remember!

Any tips will be greatly appreciated. :D

Mmmm...salmon! I just love it and find it very easy to cook. I usually bake or broil mine. It all depends on the thickness. If I'm baking it with a little sauce (honey mustard is so easy and delicious) then I know I have a little more room for error since it won't dry out as much. I think I bake it for about 20 minutes (but, like I said, it depends on the thickness). Does your recipe have a guideline? If not, just google it for some idea of cooking time.

When I broil my thinner pieces, it's 17 minutes at most or it's too dry. When I do that I just spray a little Pam on it and then sprinkle on some garlic salt and paprika. Simple but good.

To answer your question, when it's cooked, the colour will noticeably change to a lighter pink and it will be really flakey. If you're unsure you can check it at the minimum time by cutting into the thickest part. You will absolutely see a colour difference in the middle if it's not cooked through.

Just my opinion but with salmon you don't have to worry the same as with chicken, it can be served on the rarer side, I just don't like it that way.

Good luck...I hope you love it!

:D

Im not a south beacher, but i had a thought. If you arent a big fish person i might start out with tilapia or chilean sea bass. Both of those are much more mild tasting than salmon. Oh and cooking it on a countertop grill may become messy. I tried it before and the fish just fell apart and didnt cook very well. The oven is the way to go i think

Elisa, thank you for your post! I've been worried I was gonna screw this up. Your instructions are simple and easy and I appreciate it very much.

Now I'm pretty sure my salmon will turn out great. :D

Thanks Candykisses, I'll cook it in the oven. I don't have tilapia though... but there's some on sale and I'll probably get some of that as well. Thanks! :)

I love salmon! I think it's actually a less fishy fish if you cook it well done. Almost like chicken!

And, if you haven't already bought it, try and get wild Alaskan - wild at least. In my experience, the taste not as "fishy" when it's wild.

This is one of my favorite salmon recipes:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Blacken...ts/Detail.aspx

Instead of cooking it on the stove, I broil it with a little olive oil. This recipe is great on the grill also. Mmmmm I love salmon!

wild salmon is also much better for you in that it isnt marbled as much (meaning less fat per serving) and it does wonders for hair, skin, and nails...all those omega 3s :)

Grneyedmustang, that sounds like a great recipe, definitely gonna try that the next time. I got a bag with 4 salmon fillets so I have enough for another meal. Bookmarked that page! Thanks:D

Hi Mel...just a note to the salmon...I try to eat salmon often bcause it's so good for us...my suggestions are, not to over cook it..or else it (like most fish) will be dry. It should just flake off easily with a fork...
But also,when I have left overs..it's great on top of my salad the next day..as my total meal...and taste good cold. Don't want to blast you with too many sugg. but If you'd like to try another way to cook it,it's great steamed (I tent it in tin foil) with green onions,a little ginger,and oo)...yum.
Choices...(soooo many);)

I do mine in foil in the oven with lemonjuice (or balsamic) Olive oil garlic and italian seasoning
lemon sliced thin also a nice touch!

Thanks for the suggestions Choices and KO, I'll definitely keep that stuff in mind for the next time.

Well, here was my experience with the salmon if anyone's interested:

I think I may have overcooked the salmon by just a tiny bit. I ended up putting them on the mingrill afterall because I didn't feel like dealing with the oven...

I made the "butter" lime sauce and set that to the side, and microwaved a huge bowl of fresh green beans, broccoli, and cauliflower.

So when the salmon was done, I put it on my plate (duh) and poured some sauce over it as well as the veggies. The sauce was delicious. The salmon was not bad, it was a bit bland though... I wasn't raving about it. DB actually felt it was too 'fishy' (uhhh, what? It was bland to me, if it was too fishy I would have thrown up) and refused to eat the rest.

The sauce on top of the veggies was AMAZING though, it really brought the veggies to life. I'd definitely use the sauce again, maybe on chicken and vegetables.

I'm gonna eat salmon again, but I can't say I was crazy about it. I dunno! As far as seafood goes, I've never been a fish person, I used to refuse to eat it. I love shrimp and scallops and clams though.

Can we have scallops? I want scallops cooked in some 'buttery' smart balance and garlic. Yum!

I *love* fish but have never been fond of salmon. I find it too bland as well.
Some fish I really enjoy is basa (catfish from Vietnam), tilapia, trout, fresh tuna, perch and boston bluefish.

Try different types...you might find a fish you like better then salmon.

I love tuna, but the kind that comes in a can and is drained and mixed with mayo, celery, onion, and dill pickle! Heh.

Tilapia is on sale, I was thinking of trying tilapia. I am scared I will vomit though. Can it be breaded in parmesan, or would that be disgusting? I don't know what goes well with what fish.

I think scallops are allowed - at least, I hope they are because I've been eating them!!!
I did hear that all shellfish is allowed on South Beach, thouhgh.