If youʼre new to cooking or not super confident in the kitchen, salmon is one ingredient that can be a little intimidating! That shouldnʼt stop you from trying though; after all, itʼs a great weeknight meal, healthy, takes minutes to cook, and can be used in many different
ways. You just have to find the method that works for you. Here are five of my tips and tricks for getting it right every time.

1. Selecting your salmon. First things first, if you want a perfectly cooked filet of fish, you need to start with the best quality produce like Tassal Tasmanian Salmon. Whether youʼre buying from the grocery store or fishmonger, always make sure the flesh of the salmon is bright and saturated in colour, with a contrast between the muscle and fat. Avoid any fish that looks dried out or wilted, and ones in packages that have a pooling of water. When you smell it, it shouldnʼt smell like much of anything but salty, ocean air too. A fishy smell means itʼs past its prime.

 
3. Keep the skin on. When cooking salmon, keep the skin on! Not only will it provide a safety layer between your salmonʼs delicate flesh and the pan, but itʼs packed with flavour and will prevent it from overcooking. Before adding your fillets to the pan, use a paper towel to pat each one dry. When the fillets are moist or wet, theyʼre more likely to stick to the pan, and the skin wonʼt crisp up as nicely.

5. Try roasting it in the oven. When cooking salmon, most of us naturally whip out the frying pan. But one of my favourite ways to achieve a perfectly cooked salmon is by slow-roasting it. Contrary to its name, slow-roasting only takes about 30 minutes in a 130 degree oven! I like to wrap mine up in baking paper with some of my favourite herbs and aromatics - like lemon, fennel, chilli - seasoned with a generous amount of salt, pepper and olive oil.

Words by chef and Tassal ambassador, Guy Turland.