# How come my salmon always takes so long?



## laorulez (Aug 11, 2010)

Hello.  I have been having problems baking salmon.  I have been following the recommended cooking time of 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees for each inch of salmon thickness.  

Well, even when the salmon is less than an inch, like 1/2 an inch, sometimes it is not done in 8-10 minutes.  Sometimes we cook it 20 minutes and it is still not done.  The most recent time, it took about 25-30 minutes until it was done.  Does anyone know what is going on?  We didn't even cook it straight from the refrigerator either.  We let it sit on the counter until room temperature or so, too.

I have had this same problem with chicken, too...


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## forty_caliber (Aug 12, 2010)

Oven thermostats are notoriously inaccurate.  Do you have a reliable thermometer inside the oven?  Is it really a 350 degree oven?

.40


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## PrincessFiona60 (Aug 12, 2010)

forty_caliber said:


> Oven thermostats are notoriously inaccurate. Do you have a reliable thermometer inside the oven? Is it really a 350 degree oven?
> 
> .40


 
That's exactly what I was thinking.


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## NAchef (Aug 12, 2010)

Elevation has an effect on this as well. 

High-Altitude Baking at Epicurious.com

I am at 5100 ft. above sea level and I always take cooking times as an estimate. Just watch your food and make a mental note as to when it may be done.

Good luck!


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## laorulez (Aug 13, 2010)

*I'm in seattle*

I'm in seattle.  Would that affect elevation?

Additionally, we used to have a thermometer in the oven, and it always read HIGHER than what we set the dial on.  So if we set the dial on 350, it would read 400-450.  We took the thermometer out and just set the dial on the temperature we wanted, in this case, 350...


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## Andy M. (Aug 13, 2010)

First of all, if you want it well done, twenty minutes is more realistic than 8-10.  In Seattle, you on the ocean so altitude shouldn't be an issue.


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## Margaux (Aug 13, 2010)

Don't cook salmon at that high a temp.  Cook it at 275 for about 20 minutes. I learned this from the company I buy my salmon from. You'll never want it any other way once you try this. Coat both sides of your fillet with olive oil (you can even use spray-on oil), and season with a little salt and pepper. Place it skin-side down in a pan. OMG--people who don't like salmon will love this. Once I tried it, I realized that I have been overcooking salmon for 30 years. Please give it a try! Salmon should be cooked medium to medium rare. Overcooking destroys the flavor and texture.


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## gage (Aug 17, 2010)

I'm on vancouver island so same elevation , if your oven is convection and the temp is what it says it is should be no problem. I cook my salmon on parchment or silpat on a baker's halfsheet. upper middle rack 400 F- 450 f sometimes if i want it crustier.. filleted ,oiled and seasoned ,skin side down. my oven's convection "roast" means bottom-- fan element --and top element are all going. usually I'm looking at 5 lb salmon so fillet is about an inch and a bit. Seven minutes and that almost always does it ,tent with foil when it is removed if it is not quite there yet ,it keeps going for about a minute.

if your oven doesn't do that get it tested or test all elements yourself
if you are cooking it whole or in foil I don't have a clue ,but you didn't say that


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## gage (Aug 17, 2010)

I quess I'm wondering how well cooked tou like salmon. Just finished dinner ,cooked Sockeye salmon--7 minutes and out -it wasn't done for another minute though. I use salt pepper and fresh paprika ( it really tastes & looks gooood ) then olice oil rubbed on.                Gage


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## Frank 2022 (Aug 22, 2010)

laorulez said:


> Hello. I have been having problems baking salmon. I have been following the recommended cooking time of 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees for each inch of salmon thickness.
> 
> Well, even when the salmon is less than an inch, like 1/2 an inch, sometimes it is not done in 8-10 minutes. Sometimes we cook it 20 minutes and it is still not done. The most recent time, it took about 25-30 minutes until it was done. Does anyone know what is going on? We didn't even cook it straight from the refrigerator either. We let it sit on the counter until room temperature or so, too.
> 
> I have had this same problem with chicken, too...


 

You are over cooking the Salmon.  Cook in a skillet with extra virgin olive oil on low heat for a few minutes on each side. Say medium rare. Excellent.  Over cooked fish is lousy.

Frank 2022


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