Ask the expert: Why does salmon sweat white gunk in the oven?

When you cook salmon, something odd happens. We asked a food expert what’s going on and get the low-down on other aspects of our fave pink fish.

Georgia Mahood

2 min read

November 16, 2023 - 11:44AM

Don’t sweat it, we’ve got the answers.

Salmon. It’s a favourite midweek dinner among so many families these days and consistently appears in our top searches on Taste.com.au.

From salmon salads, sticky salmon noodles and TikTok viral salmon sensations, the pink fish has become a staple in many Aussies’ diets.

However, we’ve all been faced with THAT moment with salmon.

You know, the moment that almost makes us stop buying our favourite fish. As we watch our salmon sizzle away in the frying pan, bake away in the oven or cook on the barbie, our excitement for salmon quickly diminishes as we’re faced with a white goop seeping from the fish.

It’s not a pleasant sight. And every time we make salmon we’re left wondering; what is this gunk? Can I eat it? Well, we have finally cracked the code on the mysterious goop!

When salmon is baked in the oven, the liquid protein albumin is forced out of the muscle.

The culprit? C.

But what’s Albumin you may ask? We asked food scientist Michael Southan to give us the lowdown on the goop and he revealed: “When salmon is baked in the oven, the liquid protein albumin is forced out of the muscle as it cooks, producing a white substance.”

So it’s just protein! Eat it for the gains I guess?

Yes, you can definitely eat it, but it’s not exactly pretty, so…

Salmon tacos with papaya salsa.

Is there any way to stop albumin from ruining the look of my salmon?

YES! Michael says: “Baking the salmon at a lower temperature can help. This stops the muscles from contracting as hard and forcing the albumin out of the salmon.”

So when it comes to salmon, slow and steady wins the race. Cook it low, cook it slow and no white gunk will get in between you and the perfect piece of salmon.

Salmon confit is the definition of low and slow.

Want a recipe to try the lesson learnt today? Try this salmon confit recipe

This salmon confit is the definition of low and slow. Cooked at 90°C, it takes 40 minutes to cook, absorbing the flavours of olive oil, garlic and basil. The confit method helps maintain the moisture in the salmon to ensure a delicately delicious piece of fish.

You could serve this salmon with anything your heart desires, but the green bean salad provides a freshness and simplicity that really lets the salmon (sans albumin, of course) shine.