I have two beautiful and rather large 1-1/2" thick salmon steaks to cook
just for myself, but I have no clue how to simple-cook them to
flaky-done without drying them out. I do know that I want only the
flavor of the salmon, rather than any sort of sauce. Shall I salt &
pepper the naked steaks, then fry them in just a bit of butter, and what
is the testing for done trick? Last time I cooked one of these it
seemed like it took a very long time to cook-through, and the test of
fork-flaking to check for doneness didn't seem to work well, as the
outer edges were a bit dry, while the inner area seemed one too cooked
at all.

I certainly would appreciate help with this cooking, and thank you in
advance.

=A0=A0=A0Picky ~JA~

Richard's ~JA~ wrote:

> I have two beautiful and rather large 1-1/2" thick salmon steaks to cook
> just for myself, but I have no clue how to simple-cook them to
> flaky-done without drying them out. I do know that I want only the
> flavor of the salmon, rather than any sort of sauce. Shall I salt &
> pepper the naked steaks, then fry them in just a bit of butter, and what
> is the testing for done trick? Last time I cooked one of these it
> seemed like it took a very long time to cook-through, and the test of
> fork-flaking to check for doneness didn't seem to work well, as the
> outer edges were a bit dry, while the inner area seemed one too cooked
> at all.

For steaks that thick it may be difficult to fry or grill them to
perfection. They should probably be baked. Salmon does not need to be
salted, but a little will not hurt, and a little freshly cracked pepper is
nice. They should be brushed with butter and a little fresh dill is nice on
them.

lid (Steve Wertz) replied after
wrote to ask about properly cooking non-sauced
salmon steaks:
>Sear them on both sides for a minute, reduce
>heat to low and cover with a lid, flipping once
>more.
Then (Steve=A0Calvin) added in with:
>Or a nice poached salmon is mighty tasty and
>pretty tough to mess up. S&P both sides, sear
>(quickly) on both sides, add about 1/4-1/2 of
>fish stock if you have it or chicken works ok,
>cover pan and reduce heat to just above a
>simmer.
To which (Dave Smith) added another method,
with:
>For steaks that thick it may be difficult to fry or
>grill them to perfection. They should probably
>be baked. Salmon does not need to be salted,
>but a little will not hurt, and a little freshly
>cracked pepper is nice. They should be
>brushed with butter and a little fresh dill is nice
>on them.
Thank you so much, all three! It had not occurred to me that something
as simple as quick searing to then use a lid while frying, or poaching,
or even using the oven could be answer to a completely done salmon
steak's middle, while not drying out the edges. Tonight's dinner is
sure to be exactly as I was hoping for, leaving me very appreciative to
all!

=A0=A0=A0Picky ~JA~

On Sat, 03 Jan 2004 09:47:54 -0500, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>
> For steaks that thick it may be difficult to fry or grill them to
> perfection. They should probably be baked. Salmon does not need to be
> salted, but a little will not hurt, and a little freshly cracked pepper is
> nice. They should be brushed with butter and a little fresh dill is nice on
> them.
>
You just reminded me... a friend from long ago used to bake
her salmon steaks with... mayonaise spread on top. Gross, I
thought - until I tried it. Very tastey! I don't know how
she timed it, but when the mayo was puffed up and golden -
the salmon was done to perfection. Fresh dill is always
good with salmon, but not always available.


Practice safe eating - always use condiments

(Richard's ~JA~) wrote in message >...
>
> *snip*
>
> the outer edges were a bit dry, while the inner area seemed one too cooked
> at all.
>
> I certainly would appreciate help with this cooking, and thank you in
> advance.

I found a solution to this. It is a bit hard to explain without
demonstrating, so let me know if this makes sense.

After removing the pin bones, locate the central bone running down the
middle of the steak and cut each half off of it. You should now have
two drumstick shaped halves from the salmon steak. Discard the bone.

Now, arrange the two halves so that the flesh side of one half faces
the flesh side of the other half, with the thick end of each half
facing the thin end of the other. Then, take the thin ends of each
half and wind them around the outside so that you now have a medallion
that looks like a yin-yang or the number 69. Tie a piece of cooking
twine around the circumference and you will now have a boneless
medallion of uniform thickness, which cooks evenly.

Does this make sense? If not, I'll try to kludge a picture.

--Erica

In rec.food.cooking, Richard's ~JA~ > wrote:
> I have two beautiful and rather large 1-1/2" thick salmon steaks to cook
> just for myself, but I have no clue how to simple-cook them to
> flaky-done without drying them out.

High heat.



I do know that I want only the
> flavor of the salmon, rather than any sort of sauce. Shall I salt &
> pepper the naked steaks, then fry them in just a bit of butter,

Butter will not get hot enough without burning.



and what
> is the testing for done trick? Last time I cooked one of these it
> seemed like it took a very long time to cook-through, and the test of
> fork-flaking to check for doneness didn't seem to work well, as the
> outer edges were a bit dry, while the inner area seemed one too cooked
> at all.

> I certainly would appreciate help with this cooking, and thank you in
> advance.

Use extremely hot hardwood embers. On the outside, use an extremely thi
coat of mild-flavored oil.

--
....I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who

(Richard's ~JA~) wrote in message >...
> I have two beautiful and rather large 1-1/2" thick salmon steaks to cook
> just for myself, but I have no clue how to simple-cook them to
> flaky-done without drying them out. I do know that I want only the
> flavor of the salmon, rather than any sort of sauce. Shall I salt &
> pepper the naked steaks, then fry them in just a bit of butter, and what
> is the testing for done trick? Last time I cooked one of these it
> seemed like it took a very long time to cook-through, and the test of
> fork-flaking to check for doneness didn't seem to work well, as the
> outer edges were a bit dry, while the inner area seemed one too cooked
> at all.
>
> I certainly would appreciate help with this cooking, and thank you in
> advance.
>
> Picky ~JA~


Cook it in parchment paper. This keeps the moisture in and you can
bake it for 25 minutes at 400 F in your choice of sauces. If no sauce,
then perhaps just a bit of wine or good vinegar. The sauce helps it
stay moist, so I'm not sure on the time or temp without sauce.

Dean G.