Salmon is a fish that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and protein.http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/good-fat-bad-fat-facts-about-omega-3 When cooked properly, salmon can be a delicious, tender breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you are you looking for salmon ideas this guide, how to cook salmon, will lead you through the proper way to prepare and cook salmon and provide a number of recipes for you to try.

There are a variety of ways to prepare and cook salmon—you can grill it, bake it, broil it, and even poach it in your dishwasher.http://www.salon1999.com/nov96/salmon961118.html There are numerous sauces, marinades, and other preparations to make salmon a delight for both the health-conscious and the" I-refuse-to-count-calories" set. For this heart-healthy fish, the key is not to overcook, lest fish become tough and dry.

Keep reading to learn the tools and tricks to making perfect salmon, as well as how to choose between wild and farmed fish. Don't forget to make a little extra to have cold on a salad the next day!

If you have never bought salmon before, these few guidelines will help you choose the correct fish.

1. When selecting your fish at the market, make sure to buy salmon with the skin still on.
2. Allow about 6 ounces of fish per person.
3. Ask for a "center cut" single piece of salmon and then cut it into appropriate portions when you get home.
4. You'll need to decide between farmed and wild salmon (generally from the Pacific Ocean or Alaska). Proponents of wild salmon argue that farmed fish has damaged the wild fish population by escaping and sharing diseases with wild salmon. Some people believe that wild salmon has a fishier and somewhat stronger flavor than its farmed counterpart.

Perhaps the most popular and the easiest way to prepare salmon, all you'll need is the fish, some aluminum foil, a little oil, and a grill.

1. First, preheat your grill. If it's a charcoal grill, coals should be bright red and flames should have subsided. If you have a gas grill, put temperature between 300 and 325 degrees.
2. Everyone likes to use a different preparation for grilling salmon. The simplest way is to brush it with olive oil, keep skin on, and add a little salt and pepper. And if you've oiled the grill a little, you can simply sprinkle salt and pepper before adding the salmon.
3. You can also try applying mayonnaise to one side before placing on the grill.
4. For slightly more involved marinades, try whisking together three tablespoons soy sauce, 6 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, and two tablespoons Dijon mustard. Brush the marinade on top of the fish (skin side down) before placing salmon on the grill. When your salmon is finished grilling, pour the remainder of the marinade on top. This is enough marinade for three pounds of salmon, or 5-6 servings.http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_31605,00.html
5. Grill the salmon for about 4 minutes per side. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/1222181Only cover the grill if you have a gas grill.
6. Do not overcook! When you remove your salmon fillets from the grill, they will continue to cook a little as they sit, so they should look a little raw inside upon removal from the grill.

Broiling salmon is a nice way to cook it if you don't have a grill, and often you can choose a recipe with an easy to make marinade you can prepare ahead of time. A brolied salmon does not take long to cook so it is a good summer time choice which won't heat the kitchen up substantially.

1. Preheat your broiler and place aluminum foil on a baking sheet or on your broiler pan (this will make for easy clean-up later!). Lightly brush olive oil on the foil so the fish won't stick.
2. You'll want to broil the salmon skin side down about 4-6 inches from the heat source. Recipes vary in terms of keeping the fish uncovered or wrapping it in foil to trap in the marinade.
3. You do not need to turn salmon mid-broil. Broil for 6-8 minutes, or until salmon is the same color throughout. http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/content/0,21770,683790,00.html
4. Again: do not overcook! Your fish should be just cooked through when you remove it.http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/1589
5. Many broiled salmon recipes involve some variation on a mustard sauce, often featuring brown sugar. Try:
   • • Broiled Salmon with Herb Mustard Glazehttp://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_29538,00.html
     • Mustard-Broiled Salmon.http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe;_id=1630062
     • Salmon with Mustard and Brown Sugar Glazehttp://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/234419
     • Broiled Salmon with Orange-Miso Glazehttp://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/106110
6. To incorporate different flavors, try Broiled Salmon with Onion, Tomato and Lemon or the simple and delicious Broiled Salmon with Tarragon Butter.http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/2642 http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/1589
7. And it's definitely worth using cedar planks to roast salmon, which is a method derived from Native Americans living in the Pacific Northwest. Check out John's Cedar Plank Roasted Salmon for more instructions.http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/johns-cedar-plank-roasted-salmon?autonomy_kw=salmon%20cedar%20plank&rsc;=header_1

Poaching is simply cooking in hot, simmering liquid kept just below the boiling point. Poached salmon is a classic means of preparation that you can do easily at home.

1. You can poach a whole fish in water or a court bouillon.
2. If you don't have the proper vessel for such a project, you can improvise. In 1964, House and Garden suggested using a baby's bathtub if you didn't have anything else on hand, but in most cases a deep roasting pan can be used. For fillets of salmon, obviously a deep skillet will do the trick.
3. Most recipes instruct you to just cover the fish with liquid (whether water, wine, a mixture of both, or something else entirely), and poach for 8-10 minutes until fish is opaque.
4. You can also poach salmon in your dishwasher if all else fails. Just be sure foil is sealed properly. It will take about 50 minutes on a regular wash and dry cycle.http://www.salon1999.com/nov96/salmon961118.html