Well, here’s what you’d see: Starting from the top, we’ve got: • Pale-orange/red flesh This is the bulk of the matter, and if you get your salmon fillets skinless, then it’s basically all you’re left with Depending on the species of salmon, the color can vary from a deep, dark red to a paler orangepink We’ll talk more in a moment about salmon flesh’s cooking characteristics Right above the meat, you’ll find a layer of • Subcutaneous Fat Depending on the species, the time of year, the availability of food, and a number of other factors, the thickness of the fat layer may vary, but all salmon have it It serves both as an energy store for the fish and as a means of insulating its body from wide temperature changes between the ocean waters and the river it swims to during the spawning season • Skin Some fish have thick, leathery skin Salmon skin is some of the nicest around, very similar in thickness and texture to chicken skin, making it ideal for cooking It’s these second two layers—the subcutaneous fat and the skin—that are of interest to us here We know that the role of that fat is to insulate the salmon against rapid temperature changes, so why not harness that feature in our cooking method? Just like all meats, the texture of salmon flesh changes as a direct result of the temperature it is raised to • At 110°F and below, the flesh is essentially raw Translucent and deep orange or red, it has the soft, fleshy texture of good sashimi • At 110° to 125°F, the salmon is medium-rare The connective tissue between layers of flesh has begun to weaken, and if you insert a cake tester or toothpick into the fillet, it should slide in and out with no resistance The meat is relatively opaque but still juicy and moist, without any chalkiness or fibrousness • At 125° to 140°F, we are beginning to enter medium to well-done territory Flakiness will increase, and a chalky texture will start to develop, though it won’t be extreme Albumin will start to get expelled from between the contracting muscle fibers and will begin to coagulate in unattractive white clumps on the exterior of the salmon In the early stages of this clumping, your salmon is still rescuable, if you stop cooking it IMMEDIATELY ... texture to chicken skin, making it ideal for cooking It’s these second two layers? ?the subcutaneous fat and the skin—that are of interest to us here We know that the role of that fat is to insulate the salmon against rapid temperature changes, so why not harness that feature in our...river it swims to during the spawning season • Skin Some fish have thick, leathery skin Salmon skin is some of the nicest around, very similar in thickness and texture to chicken skin, making it ideal for cooking. .. temperature changes, so why not harness that feature in our cooking method? Just like all meats, the texture of salmon flesh changes as a direct result of the temperature it is raised to • At 110°F and below, the flesh is essentially