Salmon Science

• When the short muscle fibers in salmon are heated or bathed in an acid like lime juice, their albumin protein molecules change their natural shape and their ability to bind with water. They become denatured. The albumin molecules then get pushed to the outside of the fish, along with water molecules that the albumin is no longer able to hold on to. Outside the fish, the water and albumin molecules solidify and turn white.

Albumin and Doneness

• Even perfectly cooked salmon has a slight amount of albumin once it's cooked. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that you cook salmon to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, but you'll also know the fish is cooked when you see beads of albumin beginning to form. Verify that the salmon is cooked by trying to flake a portion of the flesh in the center with a small knife. If the flesh flakes, is mostly opaque and only slightly translucent, it's done.

Showing Albumin the Door

• Remove the harmless albumin from salmon before serving, if the white stuff bothers you. Use a clean, damp dish cloth to wipe the fish when it comes out of the oven; do not reuse the cloth without washing it. Or use a knife to cut or scrape away the albumin around the edges of the fish. If the albumin covers the salmon with a thin, even coating, it's perfectly acceptable to leave it alone.

Limiting the Presence

• While some albumin is inevitable, less of it appears if you keep the salmon slightly on the undercooked side. Brining before baking also reduces the amount of albumin, because it alters the protein molecules near the surface of the fish. Soak your steaks or fillets for 10 minutes in a solution of 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water, so the muscle fibers break apart without releasing albumin.