Nutritious and delicious, salmon is a very versatile fish that you can prepare in many different ways. Fresh salmon is certainly great, but you can get great results with frozen salmon too, especially if you have time to let it thaw slowly in the refrigerator. On occasions when you are in a hurry, you can put the frozen salmon in a resealable food bag and let it soak in cold water for about an hour. If you want to shorten the time further, you can use the defrost function of the microwave oven; however the fish will be less soft and succulent. In any case, it is important to cook the salmon immediately after defrosting it to prevent bacteria from proliferating.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Thaw the Salmon in the Refrigerator
Step 1. Remove the salmon from the freezer 12 hours before cooking
By letting it thaw slowly in the refrigerator you will ensure that it is very soft and tasty when cooked. The time required varies according to the thickness and weight of the salmon fillets. If they do not exceed 500 g, just let them defrost for 12 hours. If, on the other hand, the fillets are larger or if it is a whole fish, it is advisable to leave 24 hours in advance.
- For example, if you plan to make salmon for dinner and the individual fillets weigh less than half a kilo, transfer them from the freezer to the refrigerator when you wake up in the morning.
- If you want, you can also transfer them to the refrigerator the night before, but do not allow more than 24 hours to pass before cooking them. For example, if you plan to have an early dinner, but don't want to have to get up at dawn to allow 12 hours to pass, you can transfer the salmon fillets from the freezer to the refrigerator in the evening before bed.
Step 2. Wrap the frozen salmon in cling film
Remove the fish from its original packaging. This step is especially important if the salmon is vacuum packed. Wrap the fillets individually with a single layer of cling film.
Remove only the fillets you need from the package. If it's a multipack, take out only the fillets you intend to cook, then seal it again and put it back in the freezer right away
Step 3. Place the fillets on a paper towel lined plate
Use at least a couple of sheets of paper so that they can absorb all the moisture during the defrosting process. Tile the fillets on the plate.
Choose a dish that is large enough to allow you to arrange the salmon fillets in a single layer without overlapping them
Step 4. Let the salmon defrost in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours
Remember that if the fillets weigh more than half a kilo or if it is a whole fish, it will take about 24 hours.
Make sure the temperature inside the refrigerator does not exceed 4 ° C
Step 5. Cook the thawed salmon as soon as you take it out of the refrigerator
Once thawed, the salmon is ready to be cooked. Throw away the kitchen paper and cling film and cook it immediately to prevent bacteria from growing. In addition to cooking it immediately, you need to make sure it reaches a temperature of 63 ° C. At that point you will know that the salmon is cooked.
- Do not leave the salmon at room temperature except for the time you need to prepare it before cooking it.
- You could technically refreeze raw salmon if you have allowed it to thaw properly in the refrigerator, but this will detract from the taste and texture of the fish.
Method 2 of 3: Thaw the Salmon in Cold Water
Step 1. Place the salmon in a resealable food bag
Remove it from its original packaging and transfer it to a zip-lock food bag. Use a bag with a capacity of at least 4 liters. Before sealing it, let out as much air as possible so that the fish is in close contact with the plastic. Make sure you have closed the bag properly before continuing.
Also check that there are no holes in the bag that could give access to the water
Step 2. Place the bag in a large bowl
Use a large bowl that can easily hold all the pieces of salmon. If there are any parts that stick out, they will stay out of the water and won't thaw.
If you have a lot of salmon fillets, use 2 or more bags and as many bowls
Step 3. Submerge the salmon in cold water
Let the tap water run until you feel it is cold. It should be at a temperature below 4 ° C to avoid the proliferation of bacteria. Make sure it is very cold and let it run into the bowl until the fish is completely submerged. If the salmon floats, use a heavy object to push it to the bottom of the bowl, such as a sealed glass jar or can of beans.
Do not use hot water in an attempt to shorten the time. If the fillets heat up quickly, once cooked they will be dry and not very tasty. Also, the core of the fillets will not thaw properly
Step 4. Use running water or change the water in the bowl every 10-20 minutes
If you want to have a chance to do something else while the salmon defrosts, leave the tap running so that the cold water falls directly into the bowl. In this case the fish is more likely to float, so you will need to use a weight to keep it submerged. If you don't want to leave the tap running, just change the water every 10-20 minutes to make sure it's cold.
If you don't change it, the water will slowly heat up to room temperature. It is important that it always remains around 4 ° C
Step 5. Let the salmon defrost in the water for 30-60 minutes before cooking
Calculate half an hour for each pound of weight. When the salmon is completely thawed, cook it immediately. Avoid putting it back in the freezer or storing it in the refrigerator.
- This method is not suitable for defrosting whole fish, as a salmon specimen is generally too large to fit in a food bag and too thick to defrost within a reasonable and safe time while submerged in water. The best way to defrost a whole salmon is to place it in the refrigerator 24 hours before cooking.
- If you notice that there are ice crystals left inside the cavities of the whole fish, wrap it in cling film and leave the frozen parts in the water for 30-60 minutes.
Method 3 of 3: Defrost the Salmon in the Microwave
Step 1. Remove the frozen salmon from the original packaging 10 minutes before cooking
If you intend to thaw the entire contents of the package, throw away the plastic wrap that wraps the fish. If you only intend to use a few pieces of salmon, take them out of the package, then seal them and put them back in the freezer right away.
This method allows you to defrost the salmon very quickly, but it is certainly not the most suitable. You will not be at any health risk, but the salmon meat may be dry, tough, or cold in parts
Step 2. Place the salmon on a plate, wrapped in kitchen paper
The dish must be large enough to easily accommodate all the fillets (not overlapping) and suitable for the microwave oven. Line the plate with a couple of sheets of kitchen paper: they will be used to absorb the water when the ice crystals melt. Lay the salmon in direct contact with the paper and cover it with a couple more tears.
Turn the parts where the fish is thickest towards the edges of the plate and the parts where the fish is thinner towards the center to allow for even defrosting
Step 3. Use the defrost function to defrost the fish gradually
Each microwave model has its own characteristics; set the defrost function and possibly also the time or weight of the salmon. Count about 4-5 minutes for every 1 pound of fish weight.
Generally the defrost function uses 30% of the maximum power of the appliance, so if your microwave does not have this setting, start it at 30% of its maximum power
Step 4. Flip the salmon when half the time has elapsed
For example, if the set time is 5 minutes because the fish weighs about half a kilo, after 2 and a half minutes open the microwave door and turn the salmon. Use tongs to turn it over to the other side so that it thaws evenly. Then close the microwave door again and restart the defrosting program.
Wash your hands with soap after handling partially thawed raw fish
Step 5. Remove the salmon from the microwave before it is completely thawed
Turn off the oven when the fish is mostly pliable, but still slightly frozen in places. Tap it to review progress. If necessary, reactivate the oven at intervals of 30 seconds each until it reaches the indicated state.
- Remember to wash your hands thoroughly with soap after touching the fish.
- Do not leave the fish in the microwave for longer than necessary, otherwise it will start to cook in some places and after actual cooking it may be dry.
Step 6. Let the salmon sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before cooking
Rather than defrosting it completely using the microwave, remove it from the oven and let the residual heat sink in to the center as it rests at room temperature. Wait 5 minutes for the few parts still partially frozen to thaw, then cook the salmon immediately.
At this point you can cook the salmon in the microwave or traditional oven
Advice
- If you want to cook whole salmon, transfer it to the refrigerator 24 hours in advance. Once thawed, check that there are no ice crystals inside the abdominal cavity. Seal the whole fish in cling film and let cold running water run over the center portion for about an hour to complete the defrosting process.
- Attach a freeze date label to the salmon package before placing it in the freezer. Defrost and cook within 2 months.
Warnings
- Do not store salmon in the freezer for more than two months.
- Do not let the fish defrost at room temperature, otherwise the bacteria will proliferate in a dangerous way.
- When buying frozen salmon, make sure it's not covered in a thick layer of ice. This is a sign that it has been frozen for a long time or thawed and then refrozen.
- Frozen salmon doesn't have to be flexible. The fish must be completely rigid, otherwise it means that it has undergone partial thawing.
