Salmon is best cooked to medium, around 50 to 55°C internally, where the flesh has just turned opaque but still flakes into large moist pieces. Cooked beyond that the muscle fibres contract and squeeze out moisture along with albumin, the white substance that appears on the surface of overcooked salmon. Because salmon is an oily fish it carries flavour well at lower doneness, so ordering it medium rather than well done is almost always the better choice.
The white stuff is a warning
That white curd on a salmon fillet is albumin, a protein pushed out of the flesh as it contracts. A little is normal. A lot means the fish went too far, and it will eat dry whatever sauce is on it.
Skin on or off
Skin on, if it is going to be crisped. Salmon skin renders into something genuinely good when dried and started skin-side down in a hot pan. Skin left flabby is worse than no skin at all.
What goes with it
Salmon is rich, so it wants either acidity or cream, not both. A cream sauce softens it; lemon or a sharp dressing cuts it. Choose one direction.
On the board
- Tuscan King Salmon ($28)
- Creamy Salmon ($29) — the cream direction.
- Saffron Crown Salmon Roll ($22) — salmon and avocado over saffron rice.
- Spicy Ahi Poke Bowl ($19) — if you would rather have the fish raw.
Where to eat it
The Aroma Bistro & Bar is at 32760 Simon Ave, Abbotsford, BC. The kitchen is on from 11:30 every day — Monday to Thursday until 11pm, Friday and Saturday until 1am, Sunday until 10pm. Happy Hour runs 1–5pm daily and again from 9pm until close.
Walk in, call (604) 743-3131, or book a table. The full board is on the menu page.
Common questions
What is the white stuff on cooked salmon?
Albumin, a protein squeezed out of the flesh as it contracts. A small amount is normal; a lot means the salmon is overcooked.
Should salmon be pink in the middle?
Yes. Salmon cooked to medium, around 50 to 55C, stays slightly translucent in the centre and flakes in large moist pieces.
