Nutritious and Delicious

It’s hard to believe that something as decadent and tasty as salmon is good for you; however, it turns out that salmon is just as good for your health as it is for your tastebuds.

This is because salmon is an excellent source of a variety of vitamins and nutrients essential for your health, making it a perfect choice for a balanced diet. Some of the nutrients found in salmon include:

• Protein: Protein is all the rage these days; and with its role in increasing satiety, maintaining and building muscle mass, and improving bone health, it’s easy to see why. Salmon is an excellent source of protein with around 22 grams per serving.
• Dietary Fats: Though it’s had a bad rap in diet culture circles, fat is an essential part of any diet. This is because it plays an important role in cell structure, nutrient absorption, hormone production, satiety, brain function, and is an important source of energy.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3s are essential to heart health, cognitive functions, and joint health. With a whopping 2-4 grams in a serving, salmon is a fantastic source of this essential nutrient. The American Heart Association recommends eating 2 servings of fish as a part of a heart healthy diet.
• B Vitamins: B vitamins are involved in several functions of the body and play crucial roles in nerve function, immune function, energy levels, prenatal health, brain development, and more. Luckily, salmon is a rich source of many B vitamins and contains significant amounts of B12, B6, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, folic acid, and pantothenic acid.
• Magnesium: Salmon is also a good source of magnesium, which is essential for bone health, muscle function, sleep, and cardiovascular health.

Albumin

Albumin is a protein found in various foods including fish, chicken, eggs, and lentils. In salmon, this protein exists in liquid form while the fish is raw, but begins to coagulate as it is exposed to heat during cooking. This coagulation causes the protein to seep out of the meat, causing those white globs to appear on the surface of the fish. Though harmless and completely fine to consume, it doesn’t look very appealing. Luckily, there are many ways to prevent albumin seepage and make sure your salmon is picture perfect:

• Cooking Temperature: Cooking salmon at high heat can cause the muscle fibres in the fish to contract more, causing more albumin to be expelled. Cooking salmon at a lower temperature will cause the muscle fibres to contract slower and more gradually, preventing albumin from seeping out of the salmon.
• Doneness: Overcooking salmon will result in more visible albumin coming to the surface. Overcooked salmon is also unpleasant to eat because it becomes dry and sawdust-like; however, salmon should be firm, buttery, and flakey. The USDA recommends cooking salmon to an internal temperature of 145°F. However, like steak, many chefs will cook salmon to a medium-rare doneness (125°F). This is what we prefer to cook our salmon to, but you can cook your salmon more if you would prefer. As long as it doesn’t exceed an internal temperature of 145°F, your salmon should not expel as much albumin.
• Brining: You can brine your salmon by placing it in a salt water solution (wet brining) or by covering your fish in salt and allowing it to rest (dry brining). During cooking, the muscle fibres in salmon contract when exposed to heat. These contractions will push out excess moisture from the fish and, in turn, expel more albumin along with it. Brining then patting your salmon dry will remove this excess moisture and partially dissolve muscle fibres, allowing them to congeal without contracting as much. In addition to preventing visible albumin coming to the surface, brining your fish will also result in a firmer texture and moister fish.

How to Make It

Prep Your Salmon

Heavily salt your fish and allow it to sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight. This will draw out excess moisture from the salmon, resulting in a moister and firmer fish and preventing visible albumin from coming to the surface.

Remove the salmon from the fridge and pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside and allow it to come to room temperature as you prepare the glaze.

Mix the Glaze

In a bowl, mix together the maple syrup, soy sauce, sriracha, vinegar, and garlic until well-combined. Set aside.

Cook and Serve

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Place the salmon on a wire rack over a baking sheet then coat the salmon in the glaze using a basting brush.

Bake the salmon at 375°F for 15 minutes, coating in the glaze again every 5 minutes. Remove the salmon from the oven and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes.

Serve alongside rice, roasted vegetables, or a salad, and enjoy!