What is the white substance oozes out of salmon?

[lueid813]

I've noticed that when I cook salmon (either on the grill or in a pan) a whitish liquid oozes out from the flesh. I usually cook it skin-on, so this liquid appears on the flesh side. It doesn't have much of a taste. I usually scrape it off before serving. Does anyone else see this? Know what it is? Know how to prevent its appearance?

?

Thanks!

[jackal10]

You are overcooking the salmon.

That substance is the intra muscular juices (proteins and fats) that are squeezed out when heat denatures the muscle fibres.

Don't cook the fish to a temperature of more than 45C/110F and you wont get it. The salmon will be juicier and tastier as well.

Edited June 15, 2005 by jackal10 (log)

[kitchenmage]

You are overcooking the salmon.

That substance is the intra muscular juices (proteins and fats) that are squeezed out when heat denatures the muscle fibres.

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i was going to run in here and say "denatured protein!" but you beat me to it, jackal... (and with bonus cooking tip)

then again, i have been saying denatured protein a lot lately; which is really weird...

[schneich]

i see far too much tasteless "hyperlow" and "sousvide" cooked stuff lately too...

everybody wants "blumenthalize" the food nowadays...

cheers

t.

[foodiehall]

You are overcooking the salmon.

That substance is the intra muscular juices (proteins and fats) that are squeezed out when heat denatures the muscle fibres.

Don't cook the fish to a temperature of more than 45C/110F and you wont get it. The salmon will be juicier and tastier as well.

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Even though I didn't ask the question, thanks for the answer....I'd wondered about the white stuff myself. I continue to be amazed at the stuff I learn from eG.

[nathanm]

If you cook the salmon sous vide at 45C / 113F or below some juice will run out of the salmon. However, if you collect the jice and heat it, it will coagulate like a custard. It has very mild but interesting salmon flavor. I've served it....

[ned]

I don't entirely agree with Jackal10's assessment. I keep a close eye on salmon while it cooks and the moment I see that white stuff-I've heard it referred to as albumen-I pull it. I don't enjoy raw salmon unless a Japanese person with a long knife is slicing it up for me. To my mouth, it's mealy, doesn't flake, the fat doesn't separate out and "sauce" the flesh. . . Additionally, sous vide cooking where you might achieve a "cooked" salmon with an internal temp of 110 degrees is not for the meek or for the casual.

Finally, there is salmon and then there is salmon and you shouldn't treat it all the same way. I had the great fortune to eat a spear-caught copper river sockeye last weekend. It was cooked on the grill to a very low internal temp. It was firm and succulent. A totally different fish from, say, an Atlantic farmed salmon, which, cooked in the same way would have been inedible.

Just rereread what I wrote and realized that I don't know what the temp is when the albumen comes. Maybe it's 115? Maybe it's 105? 125? I don't know. I like the fish just barely cooked through and in my experience, the arrival of albumen on the surface is evidence of that.

[turkeybone]

Just rereread what I wrote and realized that I don't know what the temp is when the albumen comes.  Maybe it's 115?  Maybe it's 105?  125?  I don't know.  I like the fish just barely cooked through and in my experience, the arrival of albumen on the surface is evidence of that.

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On a random note, 115 is the temperature we're taught to stop messin' with a consomme raft, so it would seem to make sense that it's a relatively universal temperature at which proteins begin to coagulate.

[ludja]

Here's an interesting article on cooking fish and how fish muscle and collagen are transformed during the process: click

[dans]

Intersting. I've always thought that this substance was related to the product being frozen. I've noticed this when I cooked fish and suspected that is was because it was forzen before I got it. I guess the reason that I thought this was was because I usually keep steaks and chops in my freezer and when I cook them, I see the same type of substance oozing from them - different color, but same consistency.

Dan

[ludja]

Intersting. I've always thought that this substance was related to the product being frozen. I've noticed this when I cooked fish and suspected that is was because it was forzen before I got it. I guess the reason that I thought this was was because I usually keep steaks and chops in my freezer and when I cook them, I see the same type of substance oozing from them - different color, but same consistency.

Dan

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Freezing can also affect the state of proteins--ie. denature them.

Protein denaturation is simply the disruption of the three-dimensional structure and inter-protein interactions that proteins 'normally' have at physiological conditions. Important variables that affect protein structure and interactions include temperature. salt concentration and pH. Denaturation can occur at extremes for any of these variables. Proteins that become denatured within a rich and concentrated mixture of proteins and other biosubstances will usually clump together.

[PatyGirl]

Here's an interesting article on cooking fish and how fish muscle and collagen are transformed during the process: click

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Wow, that's a great site. Thanks!