Aging/resting fresh salmon

i use a seperate board for cleaning and breaking down /filleting fish any way.

This is a great idea, gonna use it.

I usually “nekaseru” (sleep/rest) my sashimi for only about a day, maybe I should do more but I don’t have the patience... I clean & fillet, wrap with the paper towels and airtight in ziplock.
I think it depends on the fish little different too.
After that I dry them on sashimi container to dry them.





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Not really a recipe but more on fish prep. Interested to hear what others do.

Last year, I made the mistake of filleting and freezing my salmon on the same day that I caught them. I learned later that the flavor of the fish improves (how can it improve from day 1!? I thought) with aging for 24-72 hours or more. With my recent catch, I put it to the test.

On the day that I caught it, I bled it well on the water. At home I took out the guts and gills and cleaned out the bloodline. I scaled it. Then got 60 pounds of ice in a big cooler and buried the fish in there. I put a layer of 20lbs of ice in first. Then put the fish in and the rest on top. The cooler was tilted so that water can drain, but the fish was suspended in the ice, if that makes sense. The fish was on ice that way until the afternoon the following day, about 30 hours post-mortem. At no time did I want the fish in water, just ice cold.

I then filleted the fish and vacuum sealed my fillets, saving one for dinner that night. Poki and sashimi. Yes, I know the FDA guidelines around parasites and the required temps and time. Salmon is the only fish I eat this way. It was delicious.

I put the vacuum packed fillets in the fridge overnight. According to the meat industry, vacuum sealing does not impact or reduce the enzymatic reactions necessary for the meat to tenderize and give rise to umami. I figure the same would be for fish. In fact, it’s the oxidization and aerobic bacteria that spoils fish and you can keep fish vacuum sealed for up to a week refrigerated, compared to just a few days without vacuum sealing (web reference from a food industry site. I think it’s legit).

On day 2, roughly 55 hours post mortem, I opened one of the vacuum sealed bags for dinner.  Nigiri, maki, hand rolls, seared salmon belly, and air fried salmon skin. It’s not Nobu but it keeps the family happy. The difference was very noticeable! Texture, oiliness, umami, all were improved from the night before.

I then took all the refrigerated packs and put them in the -20.  Not that I’m worried about it, but they will meet fda guidelines the next time we eat it (after a week or more).  The goal is for when those packs are defrosted, they have the same bust of flavor and texture as the 55 hours old fish. I hope they do!!

Curious to know what others do w their fish. For the halibut, I am aging it 3 full days. I did the same thing, vacuum sealed in the fridge on the day after catching.

Thanks for sharing! When you do this are you salt curing as well? Or no salt cure?

last add on , I have a " bad" palate for things like wine and even some meats and fish  so to be honest ,I`m wondering if i`ll even taste a difference , I cant tell between a fresh kill,quick bled salmon or a bonk and sit on ice/clean later   

It's not just a taste thing, it's also texture.  The meat firms up as you draw the moisture out over the aging process.

Take a piece of a filet and treat it well, wrapping it in paper towel (changing often) and let it sit in the fridge for a couple days.  Take another piece from the same filet and put it in a ziplock with no paper towel and let it sit for the same amount of time.  Compare the texture, both raw and cooked.  You'll see the difference.

-Allen

I usually “nekaseru” (sleep/rest) my sashimi for only about a day, maybe I should do more but I don’t have the patience... I clean & fillet, wrap with the paper towels and airtight in ziplock.
I think it depends on the fish little different too.
After that I dry them on sashimi container to dry them.





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Naoaki, that’s a cool container! Where can I get one?

Along the same lines, been reading about pressure bleeding salmon to get all the blood out and found this video.

Great, another thing to bring on the water. This at least could provide buoyancy! Lol.

Great, another thing to bring on the water. This at least could provide buoyancy! Lol.

Ikejime tool, ice chest, and now a pump sprayer? Screw it, I'm getting a powerboat!

But seriously, Eddie had motivated me, I watched a few videos, and ordered the tool. There has to be a more portable alternative for pumping out the blood. Maybe a marinade injector, just fill it up with seawater.

I usually only keep one or two fish so why not take the time to do it right?

It's not just a taste thing, it's also texture.  The meat firms up as you draw the moisture out over the aging process.

Sounds kind of like a dry aged beef thing.

I'd heard about aging halibut, but the wifey (Asian lady who only wants to eat a fish if she observed it flopping around within the last 5 minute) thought I was nuts. So, I secretly aged some a few days, and it does seem to make a real (positive) difference.

I always bleed fish on the water. When I'm feeling energetic, I'll sometimes gut them on the water, and that seems to make a big difference too.

Along the same lines, been reading about pressure bleeding salmon to get all the blood out...

Pressure bleeding is interesting because in addition to flushing out the blood it pre-brines the meat a little. And if you use sea water all the pathogens from the water end up in the capillaries, though I’m not too worried about that.

I’ve been trying to find a practical solution for pressure bleeding salmon on the kayak. I am curious to hear what others come up with.

I usually “nekaseru” (sleep/rest) my sashimi for only about a day, maybe I should do more but I don’t have the patience... I clean & fillet, wrap with the paper towels and airtight in ziplock.
I think it depends on the fish little different too.
After that I dry them on sashimi container to dry them.





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Naoaki, that’s a cool container! Where can I get one?

That looks like a good way to dry the fish. I’d be interested in buying too if anyone has a link.

I don’t have a lot to add to the discussion other than IME properly cleaning the fish, no rinse, and dry very well in the fridge (paper towels as suggested) go a long way in improving texture and avoiding mushy fish.

Along the same lines, been reading about pressure bleeding salmon to get all the blood out...

Pressure bleeding is interesting because in addition to flushing out the blood it pre-brines the meat a little. And if you use sea water all the pathogens from the water end up in the capillaries, though I’m not too worried about that.

I’ve been trying to find a practical solution for pressure bleeding salmon on the kayak. I am curious to hear what others come up with.

I see a DIY solution from someone with a torn down hobie livewell pump. Salmon in lap, sever dorsal gill plate to expose main artery, insert pipette, flip the switch on the pump and voila! Seawater through the veins.

I usually “nekaseru” (sleep/rest) my sashimi for only about a day, maybe I should do more but I don’t have the patience... I clean & fillet, wrap with the paper towels and airtight in ziplock.
I think it depends on the fish little different too.
After that I dry them on sashimi container to dry them.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Naoaki, thatÂ’s a cool container! Where can I get one?

I got it from Oto’s Japanese Market place in Sacramento otosmarket.com, but you might be able to find any Japanese or Korean super market, maybe?
I can look again see if they still have them at the Oto’s next time I go.

Oh I’ve been telling others but PLEASE try the raw soy sauce if you haven’t already!!!
It increases so much Umami on sashimi & other stuff (but doesn’t matter for cooking stuff).

Safeway’s carry them now!


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It's not just a taste thing, it's also texture.  The meat firms up as you draw the moisture out over the aging process.

Sounds kind of like a dry aged beef thing.

I'd heard about aging halibut, but the wifey (Asian lady who only wants to eat a fish if she observed it flopping around within the last 5 minute) thought I was nuts. So, I secretly aged some a few days, and it does seem to make a real (positive) difference.

I always bleed fish on the water. When I'm feeling energetic, I'll sometimes gut them on the water, and that seems to make a big difference too.

Yeah kinda similar thing.
I've done Kobushime (kelp marinate) on Halibut. Even increase the Umami on fish, it looks very unappetizing with all the slime... 

Here’s another video that i like. 

I want that fillet knife...

I think I found it
https://www.amazon.com/Container-77L-Removable-Containers-Vegetables/dp/B07DHP4RQ7/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=fish+drying+container&qid=1597020019&sr=8-2