Seafood is a widely liked cuisine, and salmon is the most popular fish consumed around the world. Salmon has become a part of multiple cuisines which means there are just so many serving methods out there.
However, the smoking method has recently become popular because it’s known to add texture and flavor to the fish, which enhances the delicacy. However, there is a constant question floating around, “is smoked salmon cooked?” With this article, we are sharing more information about that!
Is Smoked Salmon Cooked?
This question has multifaceted answers because it depends on how the salmon was smoked. This is because salmon can be cold smoked and hot smoked. For instance, in the case of hot smoked salmon, it is cooked over 49-degrees Celsius to 82-degrees Celsius, which means the fish will be thoroughly cooked.
On the other hand, if the salmon is cold smoked, the temperate ranges from 24-degrees Celsius to 32-degrees Celsius, which is considered raw but increases the shelf life.
Recently, there has been news regarding listeria bacteria associated with smoked salmon, which made everyone question the safety of salmon. However, you don’t need to worry about that because commercially available salmon and home-smoked salmon is safe to consume as it’s free from the food-related pathogens.
The safety of salmon also depends on the storage and preparation method, so make sure it’s properly stored. Generally, you have to consider the heat, salt, and smoke.
This is because when salmon is smoked with the correct cooking method and the right salting is used, you won’t have to worry about salmon causing an infection. At this point, it’s pretty evident that smoked salmon is considered cooked when it’s hot smoked. However, for this purpose, you have to understand the differences between cold smoking and hot smoking, but we are sharing the details below;
Cold Smoking
The majority of culinary experts suggest that cold smoking the salmon tends to be riskier as compared to hot smoked salmon. This is because hot smoking uses higher temperatures for smoking and curing the fish.
When it comes down to cold smoking, salmon remains unpasteurized, which means you’ve to be extra careful while handling the fish to ensure it’s safe from pathogens. Overall, cold-smoked salmon is safe for healthy people who have a strong immune system.
On the other hand, cold smoked salmon is not suitable for pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, and senior people. This is the prime reason that cold smoked salmon isn’t available easily. Also, cold-smoked salmon generally has a shorter shelf life and can be stored only for one to two weeks in the refrigerator. However, if you store cold smoked salmon in the freezer, it will be safe to consume for over a month only.
Hot Smoking
As far as hot smoking is concerned, salmon is smoked over higher temperatures, but it calls for bringing before the fish is cured. Hot smoked salmon tends to have a better flavor, and the shelf life is also quite long. The best thing about hot smoked salmon is that it doesn’t need to be refrigerated as long as you don’t take off the original packaging.
Can You Eat Smoked Salmon Without Cooking?
It doesn’t matter which type of smoking method was used; smoked salmon can be consumed without heating or cooking. In particular, you don’t have to worry about safety with commercial salmon because it undergoes a thorough process that kills off the pathogens. If you are concerned about cold smoked salmon, the bacteria might grow, but it’s safe to eat as long as you eat it immediately or within the mentioned timeframe.
As for the hot smoked salmon, it doesn’t have any issues with bacteria since hot temperatures will eliminate the contaminants. This means that you don’t have to reheat the salmon, and extra heating might make the salmon dry.
The best way is to look at the packaging label because it will tell if smoked salmon needs reheating or cooking before you eat. In the majority of cases, it isn’t suggested to heat it directly because it can ruin the fine flavor.
Additional Things To Keep In Mind
As we are talking about smoked salmon, people generally don’t cook it, and it’s paired with wine, herbs, and bread to make a complete meal. In addition, some people are concerned about the price because smoked salmon tends to be expensive. The price depends on how much effort it took to smoke, dry, and salt the salmon. In addition, the resulting weight of the fish is also measured because the entire processing will waste a lot of mass.
While we are talking about the fish, it’s important to talk about the health benefits. So, smoked salmon is a great source of selenium, magnesium, proteins, vitamin D, vitamin B, EPA, DHA, and omega-3 fats. All this nutrition will reduce the chances of heart issues, Alzheimer’s, and macular degeneration. Secondly, if you are concerned about the texture of salmon, it depends on the smoking method. So, the cold smoked salmon tends to be silkier and smoother, while hot smoked salmon has a flaky texture.
We do want to add that smoked salmon can be eaten directly from the package if it has succulent slices. These slices can be used to make a delicious sandwich, or you can use your creativity to make a gourmet dinner.
How To Pair Smoked Salmon?
If you want to make a meal out of smoked salmon, there are various things that you can try, such as;
- Smoked salmon with asparagus (the asparagus is mixed with hollandaise sauce to enhance the flavor)
- Brie cucumber bites
- Smoked salmon and soft scrambled eggs for breakfast (you can add toast as well)
- It makes a perfect addition to egg benedict
- Avocado toast with smoked salmon and cucumber slices
- Sour cream, baked tomatoes, and tomatoes with smoked salmon
To summarize, smoked salmon is cooked, and it doesn’t need additional cooking or reheating to eat. However, you can always read the packaging to be sure.