While you can cook salmon without salt, it is highly recommended and considered essential for achieving the best results in terms of flavor, texture, and overall quality.
According to the article "The Secret to Better Salmon Is Salt", salt is presented as the key to significantly improving cooked salmon. Specifically, using a dry brine technique with salt leads to:
- Firmer Fish Fillets: Salt helps to denature proteins and draw out moisture, which is then reabsorbed, resulting in a more pleasant, firmer texture.
- Juicier Fish Fillets: The process of dry brining allows the salt to penetrate the flesh, helping the fish retain moisture during cooking, preventing it from drying out.
- Kettle-Chip-Crisp Skin: Salt applied to the skin helps draw out surface moisture, which is crucial for achieving a perfectly crisp skin when cooked.
Think of salt not just as a seasoning but as a transformative ingredient for salmon. It enhances the natural flavors and fundamentally improves the cooking outcome, making the difference between a good piece of fish and a truly outstanding one.
Why Salt Matters for Salmon
Applying salt to salmon, particularly through a dry brine, impacts the fish on a molecular level:
- Flavor Enhancement: Salt brings out the inherent taste of the salmon itself.
- Moisture Management: Salt initially draws moisture out, which dissolves the salt, creating a brine. This brine is then reabsorbed into the fish, carrying flavor and helping the muscle fibers retain moisture during cooking.
- Protein Structure: Salt interacts with muscle proteins, causing them to unravel slightly. This allows the fish to hold onto more moisture and results in a flakier, more tender texture.
- Skin Crispness: By drying out the surface moisture on the skin, salt ensures that the skin can crisp up effectively instead of steaming.
| Benefit | How Salt Helps |
|---|---|
| Texture | Creates firmer, less mushy flesh. |
| Juiciness | Helps fish retain moisture during cooking. |
| Flavor | Enhances the natural taste of the salmon. |
| Skin Crispness | Removes surface moisture for better searing. |
Practical Application: Dry Brining Salmon
The referenced article highlights the effectiveness of a dry brine. This simple technique involves:
- Patting the salmon fillet thoroughly dry.
- Generously sprinkling salt (and often sugar) over the flesh and skin.
- Letting the salmon sit for a period (usually 15-60 minutes, depending on thickness), allowing the salt to work its magic.
- Rinsing off the salt and patting the fish dry again before cooking.
This process is relatively quick but yields significant improvements, making the salmon both more flavorful and better textured.
In conclusion, while technically not a survival necessity for cooking, salt is indispensable for anyone looking to prepare salmon that is juicy, firm, flavorful, and has delightfully crisp skin.
