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Salmon thread!

AmorRoark

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Ok, this is probably too specific of a question but... for those of you who make/eat salmon patties - do you leave the bones in or do you take them out? What about the skin?

I didn't even know anybody ever left the bones in patties until doing a little research today. I know my mom bought the cans with the skin & bones still in them but I think she just did this because it was cheaper (?)... and she liked to give the skin to our cat. Anyway patty aficionados, what's your fancy?

Poll please
 
I would be interested to know this too, as i was just recently looking at salmon patty recipes. How about if you put the whole lot in a food processor? Would that just grind the skin/bones into the flesh?
 
^ Yes, it sounds like it would pretty easily. People say they like the little 'crunch' that they get from the vertebrae... I just can't imagine enjoying that but to each their own! Plus, I think you get good calcium from the bones.
 
Take the bones out use the skin and meat in a food processor. Or just the meat, but even processed bones sound gross.

It all depends on the consistency you want.
 
Any way to pick out good salmon before purchasing?

I've been trying to search for the answer to this but I'm not getting anywhere... maybe I'm using the wrong terms. Anyway, I love salmon and eat it about once per week, but about every third fish or so I get is extremely fishy tasting and damn near inedible. Usually, I notice considerably more oil coming out of these fish when cooked.

Is there any way to select better salmon? Maybe a certain type of salmon, or a certain texture or appearance? I love salmon but I don't like spending money on a premium cut of meat only to get something that I have to choke down. Any help would be appreciated!
 
patty? ewwwww

marinated salmon steak (with skin) is where it is at
 
NSFW:
Choosing Your Salmon

When selecting your fish, there are a few items that you must look for, and if any of them is missing or questionable, look elsewhere. Few things will make you quite as miserable as food poisoning from fish. Fish naturally begin to break down from the moment they are pulled from their water habitat, so proper handling and care is essential. The following are a few tips that you should keep in mind:

Pick your cut: whole, steak or filet. A whole fish can't be beat when serving a large group, especially when it comes to economics. It offers the flexibility of being able to be served stuffed or decorated for presentation, or divided into individual servings such as filets or steaks. Taking a whole salmon and converting it into filets or steaks requires a bit of effort, but is quite simple, and usually far more cost effective than the prepared cuts from the store. The filet is then deboned, and sometimes unskinned, sides of the salmon. The steak is a vertical cut made through the salmon, usually around an inch in thickness.

You are spending good money on this fish, so before you buy it, take the time to really examine it. A fish that isn't fresh or has been poorly handled simply cannot offer the same satisfying meal that a fresh fish would. Any monger worth his salt with nothing to hide will gladly let you take a sniff and look. Whether you are buying a filet, steak, or whole fish, ask your fishmonger to let you smell and hold it. Take a deep whiff and look for the smell of the ocean - salty sweet. If it smells like a fish, it indicates the fish is old and hasn't been kept at appropriate temperatures.

The flesh should be in good shape, intact (not look feathered) and firm. It should bounce back when pressed gently, not leaving an indentation. The skin should be clean and not slimy, with a nice shine and scales that do not readily fall off.

If you are looking at a whole fish, the color of the gills should be bright pink to a deep red, and the cavity clean and free from blood and fluids. Next, look the fish in the eyes. This is the easiest indicator of freshness and how well the fish has been handled. The eyes should be clear and well rounded. If they are cloudy, or have sunk into the eye socket, the fish is out of date or took a beating. Take a pass and move on to the next specimen.

Refrigerating Your Salmon Purchase

The natural decomposition of the fish, and subsequent spoilage, is slowed by keeping the fish in cold environments, so follow these refrigeration tips to make sure your fish isn't, and doesn't, become unsafe:

1. Take a close look at the stores display case. Most local food codes require that the fish in the display case must be consistently refrigerated at 29°F., so confirm this by looking for a thermometer somewhere around the case. The ice must be clean and fresh, with the fish not sitting in puddles of water or blood. Temperatures can vary as much as 25°F. between the top fish and bottom pieces when stacked because of the lighting, air current, etc., so make sure to obtain a piece that is close to the ice, preferably directly on top of the ice.

2. Do not purchase salmon, or any fish or seafood for that matter, if you plan on making a number of additional stops before you get home. We can't emphasize enough that fish must be kept cold to prevent rapid spoilage. It doesn't do well even for short times in warm conditions, especially the temperatures your car will reach on a sunny day.

3. As soon as you get home, remove the fish from the wrapping from the store, rinse it with cold running water, and re-wrap in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil. Store it in your refrigerator in the coldest part, usually the bottom shelf towards the back. Food is unsafe at temperatures between 40°F and 140°F, and most people are unaware that their refrigerators operate in this unsafe region. Because most refrigerators don't provide an easy way of knowing the internal temperature of the cooling box (whose idea was that goofy knob anyway?), it is a good idea to hang a thermometer somewhere inside so you can ensure it is operating safely.

4. It is not advisable to keep fish unfrozen for longer than a day or so, and if possible, it is best not to purchase fish until the day you plan to use it. Should you come across a great deal on salmon, you can freeze it safely by wrapping tightly in a combination of plastic wrap, foil, and zip-seal bags. It will store well in the freezer for about 6 months and manage to maintain most of its texture and taste.
http://www.squidoo.com/salmon_tips


...kytnism...:|
 
IF you don't like fishy tasting salmon, stick with Pinks.
While Pink Salmon is considered the lesser of the salmon, but I prefer it b/c it is less 'fishy'.

Also, watch for Wild Salmon as opposed to farmed salmon.
You may find the Farmed salmon looks better, but they're dyed to look more vibrant and all that's no good.

I merged the two salmon threads......
 
^ Good smoked is amazing but I can't handle ruining my bagels with lox (no matter how many times my fiancee's family tries to push it on me ;)).

edit: Mods, could you change the title to the salmon thread? It'll broaden up the discussion a bit. :)
 
depends on wether you are using tinned or fresh, if I am making it fresh I normally take the backbone out but all other bones are cooked enough they are soft and can easily be blended into a pate. If I buy tinned they are so over cooked the bones tend to blend in easily enough anyway.

If you are blending it down just put the lot in, nothing wrong with a bit extra calcium in your dish.
Salmon pate
250-300g salmon, 150-175g cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt, a few chives finely chopped, 1/4 juice of lemon and a pinch of brown sugar. pop in blender whizz till ready, put in dishes and pop in fridge ready to serve with crackers, oatcakes or melba toast.

I also make one with a hard boiled egg mixed through and another one with prawn tails that I mix in after it has been blended.

love it
 
salmon is way too good to be wasting on freaking patties. that's what canned tuna is for!!
 
IMO, make the patties w/o the skin, but save it and pan fry with a little bit of oil. It gets nice and crisp like bacon. If you are making a sandwich out of the patties, add the crispy skin on top like you would put bacon on a hamburger.

As far as bones, if the whole thing is blended well enough, you won't notice them, but I would still say to remove them in general.
 
I love salmon and cook it quite often - I prefer to buy a fillet and then I remove the few bones with a pair if tweezers before I cook it.

Give the fish a good sniff before you buy it if it smells fishy then dont buy it as the smell with only get worse when you cook it.

For making patties from canned fish I would personally remove everything except the flesh - adding chopped capers to the mix really tastes great (if you like capers that is :D).
 
^^ I would not have the time to use tweezers lol, besides I have kids who use them for bug collections and stuff gross wee critters lol, but they do go out and get salmon so not complaining lol

What you said about the smell is true, I only get what is caught locally so never had that problem but I do remember strong smelling fish and thought no way.

It depends on what you like, maybe think of foods you do enjoy, maybe capers (:) ) maybe olives. Think of mild herbs as salmon is not over poweringit is better to keep the flavours with it calm so you can still taste it. If it is tinned however it does seem to smell a bit more so you can use slightly stronger tasting herbs.
 
^^ I would not have the time to use tweezers lol,

Haha - I suppose it realy depends on the size of the fillets but I normally only have to remove something like six bones per fillet :D.

I now have visions of somebody spending 3 hours standing over a salmon plucking out a pile of bones with a pair of tweezers.

haha - this has really tickled me.
 
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