# What's all this white stuff on my salmon?



## Easton

I don't remember this happening the first few times I made salmon, but I've been noticing some white goo on the sides of my salmon. Is it fat? Does it usually appear when I've overcooked the fish?


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## college_cook

Are you noticing the white "goo" after the salmon is cooked or before?  I think salmon is a pretty fatty fish, as far as fish go, so it could just be fat.


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## Easton

After. 

 message too short


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## Nicholas Mosher

If it's after, it's probably just bits of protein that rose to the surface with moisture and coagulated.  Same thing happens quite often to hamburgers when they are cooked undisturbed... except it's gray goo.


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## Bibi

*Salmon white goo*

It might depend on the salmon and where it was caught. Copper River red salmon and Yukon River king salmon are very high in fats (the good kind, loaded with Omega-3) and some of that will cook out of the fillet or steak. It's harmless and doesn't affect the flavor, so if you don't want to eat it just scrape it off.


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## YT2095

it`s blood proteins, quite harmless


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## AllenOK

YT2095 said:
			
		

> it`s blood proteins, quite harmless



YT beat me to the punch.

That's the serum albumen, part of the the blood, that's still present in the flesh of a critter after it's cleaned.  It will set up and congeal just like the albumen in egg whites.

If I remember right, this stuff can even be used to thicken liquids, just like egg liason can.  Tradition Coq au Vin uses the blood of the bird to thicken the sauce, if I remember.


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## ironchef

AllenOK said:
			
		

> Tradition Coq au Vin uses the blood of the bird to thicken the sauce, if I remember.


 
Yup. Coq au Vin is an OLD dish. There are ancient references to coq au vin recipes dating back to B.C. times. Traditionally, very old birds were used and this dish came about because of that. Slow braising was the only way to make the meat tender. When we get in whole birds, we'll sometimes run coq au vin as a special or for crew meal. However, we use a different thickener for the sauce. Our executive chef used to work under David Bouley and he learned how to make a liason from the chicken's livers and other offal. This liason is used to thicken the sauce and add a sublime richness and depth of flavor.


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## AllenOK

That sounds interesting.  Is this liason anything like a "raft" used in consumme?

I've thought about doing some Coq au Vin at home for my family, especially since I usually keep leg-and-thigh quarters on hand, and just got a new enamelled cast iron dutch oven recently.  The only problem is, I don't know if my kids well eat it or not.  I know it's delicious, but they may be turned off by the color.


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## obiwan9962

you'll find this occurs more with pacific salmon than atlantic
the two are two different species
it's just naturally occuring albumen protiens as my two esteemed predecessors mentioned
i also find it seems to be more abundant the fresher the fish

**** i miss pacific salmon 
all i can get here is coho and once in awhile silver
but i want KING salmon
nice fraiser river or yukon river or my fave bristol bay

quick!
someone fedex me some!


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## ironchef

obiwan9962 said:
			
		

> *it seems to be more abundant the fresher the fish*
> 
> **** i miss pacific salmon
> all i can get here is coho and once in awhile silver
> but i want KING salmon
> nice fraiser river or yukon river or my fave bristol bay
> 
> quick!
> someone fedex me some!


 
That is true. You'll probably find that it won't happen in especially Atlantic farm raised salmon. 

Obi, right now at the restaurant we're running specials with wild king Copper River salmon. Man is it good stuff. It has such a beautiful, vibrant orange color.


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## obiwan9962

ironchef said:
			
		

> That is true. You'll probably find that it won't happen in especially Atlantic farm raised salmon.
> 
> Obi, right now at the restaurant we're running specials with wild king Copper River salmon. Man is it good stuff. It has such a beautiful, vibrant orange color.


copper river is glorious
i remember back in seattle in my restaurant i would sell so much of it
i was sometimes lucky enought to get my hands on some white kings
or yukon river (rare since the japanese buys almost 100% of it)
but i do really miss bristol bays
ah the pity
perhaps i will someday move back to the right coast
in the meanwhile..........


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## Bibi

*Notes on salmon*

Coho actually is the same as silver salmon, at least among Pacific salmon. 

Copper River reds are a prized fish, but in Alaska the king salmon that run in the Copper are not considered superior to Kenai kings. Yukon River kings are, indeed, the class of the king salmon. The rare white kings are a delicacy to some, while other people find them bland. Only about 1 in 20 kings has the ivory flesh, so the rarity makes them desirable in some cases.

The red salmon running in the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers this year are fantastic fish, extra large and loaded with delicious fats. These are sort of like the reds that returned in 2005, except that in that year there were probably 2 to 2 1/2 million more fish that returned to the upper Cook Inlet area. Still, it's a very good year for red salmon in parts of Alaska. I was told that the reds hadn't returned in good numbers in Bristol Bay, but I haven't followed it very closely.

By the way, although few people think pink salmon is worthy of cooking, it's an excellent fish for canning and is by far the easiest salmon to fillet.


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## ironchef

I've run wild Kenai king salmon but unfortunately, it just doesn't sell as well because it's doesn't have the name recognition like Copper River. Most diners have heard of Copper River and are aware of the significance of the season so it's much, much easier to sell.


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## obiwan9962

ironchef said:
			
		

> I've run wild Kenai king salmon but unfortunately, it just doesn't sell as well because it's doesn't have the name recognition like Copper River. Most diners have heard of Copper River and are aware of the significance of the season so it's much, much easier to sell.


ya it's all about marketing
when i waS working in seattle we would merchandise ellensburg lamb
lol the ellensburg plant shut down years ago
here in canada it is all about alberta beef
and i have toured all the big and best farms and i find ontario beef to be better tasting but i cannot sell it because everyone things alberta is the best

all marketing


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