Salmon Eye Check
When you buy salmon, check the brightness of the salmon’s eyes. If the eyes are bright, not cloudy or yellowed, it means the fish is fresh. If the eyes are cloudy, it’s best not to choose that fish as it may have been dead for a long time and will not be fragrant and firm when cooked.
For filleted salmon pieces, the flesh should have a natural orange color, not pale, and should not show any signs of darkening. Check the fat lines on the flesh. They should be bright, even, and not cloudy or blurred, indicating good quality salmon.
Flesh Elasticity
A small tip when buying salmon is to use your hand to check the elasticity of the fish. If the fish feels elastic when pressed with your hand, you can use one of the following methods:
Press your finger lightly on the body of the fish to check the elasticity of the flesh. Then slowly release your finger. If there is no indentation left by your finger on the fish, it means the fish is fresh.
Smell the Scent of Salmon
When choosing salmon, you should smell the aroma of the flesh. Fresh raw salmon has a distinctive smell and a slightly fishy odor. If the salmon is not fresh, it will have a weak scent and a decreased quality.
When checking salmon, if the flesh feels firm, it is a sign of good quality. Additionally, you should also smell the fish. If it smells good, then it is fresh.
Reducing the Fishy Smell of Salmon
Use freshly squeezed lemon juice to soak the fish for a few minutes, then clean it as usual. This will remove the fishy odor without affecting the freshness of the salmon.
Use saltwater or rub coarse salt on the fish or soak the cleaned fish in cold water with a little vinegar or mix it with a bit of pepper or star anise. This will help eliminate the fishy smell when cooking.
After cleaning the fish, marinate it in red wine for a while. The aroma of the wine will remove the fishy smell.
Before frying, immerse the fish in some milk. This will eliminate the fishy smell and enhance its freshness.
According to Health & Beauty