I'm still pretty new to cooking salmon so I want to share some tips and recipes that I found helpful in learning how to prepare this wild caught superfood salmon.

Salmon Filets

The first thing to know about the filets is that there is a row of pin bones down the center.  Kevin from Sunrise Salmon told me that commercial processors "age" the salmon in order for the meat to soften and release the bones.  These filets are hand trimmed and immediately frozen while still fresh, so the pin bones are left.

How to Remove Pin Bones

If you want to remove the bones before cooking, here's a video showing how.  I also found it helpful to lay the filet over an upside-down bowl, which exposed the bones more, while also following the steps in this video:

How to Cook Salmon Filet

Here's the recipe I use to cook salmon filets using the broiler- very fast and easy!

Crispy Honey-Glazed Salmon

How to Tell if Salmon is Done

The main thing to avoid with salmon is over cooking it and the best way to avoid this is to use a meat thermometer.

"As soon as the salmon registers 135 degrees F on an instant read thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the fillet, remove it from the heat source, then let it rest.

As the salmon rests, its temperature continues to rise. Resting allows any juices to incorporate back into the fish.

Salmon cooked to 135 degrees F and allowed to rest will be medium, moist, and safe to eat."  (taken from this article about salmon temperature)

Salmon Spoonings

Sunrise Salmon sells 1 lb packages of salmon "spoonings", which are small pieces of salmon that are scraped from the backbone with a spoon after the filets are cut from the fish- perfect for making salmon burgers.  The pieces are a little larger than typical ground meat, so you may want to chop them up in a food processor if making burgers.  The spoonings are also great for making stir fry.

How to Make Salmon Burgers

Here's my salmon burger recipe.

Smoked Salmon

I had previously had cold-smoked salmon at restaurants and the almost-raw texture weirded me out a little.  Sunrise Salmon hot-smokes their salmon, which means it is fully cooked.  Hot-smoked salmon is great for making dip.  Just make sure to watch for pin bones as you flake the fish into the dip.

How to Make Salmon Dip

Here's my recipe, using common ingredients found in your refrigerator.