Frozen salmon can be prepared as easily as you like, just like fresh salmon, and the first step is to thaw it properly
Whether you have filets to cook quickly or keep whole fish in the freezer, the best way to thaw them is to place the salmon in the refrigerator overnight. If you're in a hurry, you can use the cold water method or microwave the salmon, although you can't get a moist, flaky texture. Whichever method is used, thawed salmon is sure to make a delicious dish, no matter what recipe you use to cook it.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Defrosting Salmon with Cold Water
Step 1. Put the frozen salmon in a plastic clip bag
Remove the salmon from its original packaging, then place it in a plastic clip bag measuring about 4 liters. Squeeze out excess air bubbles so that the sides of the salmon stick to the inside of the bag. Close the bag tightly.
Make sure the bag doesn't leak so that water cannot enter it.
Step 2. Place the plastic bag containing the salmon in a large, deep bowl
Use a wide, deep bowl to place the salmon. Do not let any part of the fish sticking out of the bowl. The fish should be fully submerged when the bowl is filled with water later.
To defrost a lot of salmon, use 2 or more plastic clip bags, and 2 or more bowls
Step 3. Put cold water in a bowl until the salmon is submerged
Use cold water from a tap with a temperature of less than 4 °C to avoid the growth of bacteria. Once you have water at the right temperature, pour it into the bowl until the frozen fish is completely submerged. Use a can or a jar to hold the fish floating in the water. This is to keep all parts of the fish submerged in the water.
Avoid using warm water. If the outside of the salmon is warmed, the fish will lose its flavor and moisture. In addition, the inside of the fish will not be able to melt properly
Step 4. Change the water every 10-20 minutes or use running water
To make the process easier, keep running tap water into the bowl. You'll need to squish the salmon into the water using a can or jar because it's more likely that the salmon will float if you use this method. If you can't use running water, replace it with new water every 10-20 minutes.
It is very important to replace the water with a new one so that the water does not reach room temperature. The water temperature should be close to 4 °C at all times
Step 5. Thaw frozen salmon in cold water for about 1 hour before you cook it
For every 0.5 kg of fish, you need about 30 minutes to defrost. When the fish is completely thawed, you should cook it immediately. Do not let fish remain in the refrigerator or put it back in the freezer.
- This method is not suitable to be applied to whole fish because the plastic clip bag cannot accommodate it. In addition, the meat was too thick which made it unable to fully thaw in the water. Instead, thaw whole salmon in the refrigerator overnight.
- If there are still ice crystals remaining in the interior cavity of a whole salmon, wrap the fish in plastic wrap and run cold water over the frozen portion of the fish for an hour.
Method 2 of 3: Defrosting Salmon in the Fridge
Step 1. Remove frozen salmon from freezer 12 hours before cooking
Defrosting this refrigerator produces the best and most flavorful salmon dish. Thin salmon fillets and pieces weighing no more than 0.5 kg should take about 12 hours to thaw in the refrigerator. Whole salmon or thick pieces of fish weighing more than 0.5 kg should be thawed in about 24 hours.
- For example, if you want to cook a salmon filet at 6 p.m., remove the filet from the freezer at 6 a.m.
- You can leave the thin strips of salmon in the refrigerator overnight, but don't let it sit for more than 24 hours. If you want to cook salmon on a Sunday at 4 p.m. and you're afraid you won't be able to get up at 4 in the morning, you can take the salmon out of the freezer Saturday night before bed.
Step 2. Wrap each piece of frozen salmon with plastic wrap
Remove the salmon from its original packaging. This must be done if the salmon is packaged in a vacuum sealed container. Wrap each piece of frozen salmon with one layer of plastic wrap.
If you bought salmon in a package containing a lot of filets and you only want to cook one or more filets, remove the pieces you want to cook, then close the package and put the remaining salmon back in the freezer immediately
Step 3. Place the salmon that has been wrapped in plastic wrap on a plate lined with paper towels
Spread 1 or 2 paper towels on a plate to collect any liquid that comes out of the frozen salmon. Next, place the salmon pieces on a plate in a row.
Use a bowl or plate that can hold the salmon pieces in a single layer
Step 4. Let the salmon freeze in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours
Wait for about 12 hours for the fish pieces weighing less than 0.5 kg to melt. In larger or whole pieces of fish weighing more than 0.5 kg, wait about 24 hours before removing them from the refrigerator.
Make sure the refrigerator is set to 4 °C or less
Step 5. Cook the thawed salmon as soon as it is removed from the refrigerator
When it has melted, the salmon is ready to cook. Throw away any tissues, packaging, and plastic wrap you use. After that, cook the salmon until the inside reaches 65°C.
- Don't leave the salmon at room temperature unless you're going to cook it right away.
- Technically, it's okay to refreeze raw salmon that has been properly thawed in the refrigerator. However, the salmon will lose its flavor and moisture drastically.
Method 3 of 3: Using the Microwave
Step 1. Remove the frozen salmon from the package 10 minutes before cooking
If you want to defrost all the fish, remove the plastic wrap and the paper or foil packaging. If you only want to cook 1 or more pieces of fish, remove the slices you want to use, then close the packaging tightly, and return the remaining fish to the freezer.
Defrosting salmon in the microwave is the quickest way, but is not recommended. Salmon is safe to cook and eat, but the meat will harden and dry out, or it won't heat up evenly
Step 2. Place the frozen salmon on a paper towel-lined plate
Use a plate that is microwave-safe and can hold all the pieces of salmon in a row. Place a few paper towels in the bottom of the plate to catch the melted ice crystals. Arrange the salmon directly on a paper-lined plate, then cover the salmon with another paper towel.
Place the thickest part of the salmon on the outer edge of the plate and the thinnest part in the center so that the entire fish melts evenly
Step 3. Set the microwave to the defrost setting to gradually heat the salmon
Each microwave has a different setting, but you can start by selecting the defrost button. When prompted, enter the weight of the salmon or how long you want to run the microwave. Warm the salmon for 4-5 minutes for every 0.5 kg of fish you wish to defrost.
The defrost setting usually takes up 30% of the heating power in the microwave. So, if the microwave doesn't have a defrost feature, set it to the 30% setting or Power 3
Step 4. Flip the salmon halfway through the defrosting time
If you're defrosting salmon chunks that weigh about 5 pounds, open the microwave door about 2.5 minutes after you've heated the salmon. Carefully turn the salmon so that the bottom is on top. This makes the salmon melt evenly. After that, close the door and let the microwave continue the defrosting process.
Wash your hands with soap after handling partially thawed raw fish
Step 5. Remove the salmon from the microwave before fully defrosting
Stop defrosting when most of the fish is soft, but some small pieces are still frozen. Check the fish to see how they are doing. If necessary, continue to defrost in the microwave for about 30 seconds until the fish reaches this stage.
- Wash your hands with soap after handling raw seafood.
- Avoid thawing fish in the microwave for too long. If you do, the fish will start the cooking process unevenly or even dry out.
Step 6. Let the salmon sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before you cook it
Don't fully thaw the salmon in the microwave, but remove the fish and allow the heat to permeate all over the fish when the salmon is at room temperature. Wait about 5 minutes to continue the defrosting process outside of the microwave. After that, cook the salmon immediately.
Next, you can cook the salmon in the oven or microwave
Tips
- If you want to defrost whole salmon, place it in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Next, check the fish's interior cavity to see if there are chunks of ice. Wrap the whole fish tightly in plastic wrap and run cold water over the cavity of the fish for about 1 hour to complete defrosting in these areas if necessary.
- Label and date the salmon before you put it in the freezer so you remember to thaw and cook it no more than 2 months later.
- It's a good idea to thaw frozen salmon before cooking it. However, you can also bake them without defrosting them if you are in a hurry.
Warning
- Do not store frozen salmon for more than 2 months.
- Do not thaw frozen fish at room temperature. This will encourage the emergence of bacteria.
- Don't buy frozen salmon that is thickly coated with ice or ice crystals. This is a sign that the salmon has been stored for too long or has been thawed and refrozen.
- Don't buy pliable "frozen" salmon. You should choose hard and frozen fish. If you can bend it inside the pack, the fish may have partially melted.
