FOOD NEWS
The Important Step To Follow When Pan-Frying Frozen Salmon
By Megan Anderson
For making the best pan-fried frozen salmon, it's crucial to rinse the filets with cool water, then pat them dry. This removes ice from the surface and allows for proper browning.
While the salmon could technically cook without this step, it would taste more like boiled salmon without the browned flavor you get from grilling, roasting, and pan-frying.
Browned meat comes from the Maillard reaction, which happens when carbonyl groups in a meat's fats and proteins mesh with amino acids at high temperatures to form new flavors.
This reaction occurs at temperatures of 300 F and above. Since this temperature is hotter than the boiling point of water, the reaction will only happen if the meat is very dry.
Rinsing and drying the frozen salmon before pan-frying works best with thinner filets, as thick ones are difficult to bring up to 145 F without overcooking the exterior.