You know those annoying white tendrils you get when you poach an egg? Well, it turns out you can get rid of those without vinegar by simply straining the whites first. 

But I have yet to find such a simple solution for the web-like white layer that always forms on top of my oven-baked salmon. 

The substance, which is somewhere between gooey and chalky, is frankly enough to put me off my dinner. 

So I thought I’d find out whether or not my reaction is valid ― I mean, what is that stuff to begin with?

It’s actually similar to egg whites

According to BBC Food, the ectoplasmic-looking growth is more similar to egg whites than I realised. 

They shared that the film is made up of albumin, a protein group also contained in my Hollandaise base. 

Albumen, a member of the albumin family, is the one we see in egg whites.

When it comes to salmon, though, the protein’s visibility can reveal how cooked the fish is. 

“When the white album[in] (a protein in the fish very like egg white) begins to show on the top of the salmon, this is a sign that cooking is nearly complete,” BBC Food shared. 

They add that “a lot of white album[in] will be visible in overcooked fish”. 

Per food site Eating Well, that works because heat turns albumen from a liquid into a semi-solid (a bit like a boiling egg, I guess). 

As the meat stiffens and the muscle tissues contract, the newly-white component makes its way to the top of the fish. 

The hotter you cook salmon, the more albumen you’ll see.

How can I stop overcooking salmon?

Mary Berry recommends crowding salmon fillets together when you oven-bake it to help gently steam the fillets as they bake. 

Other options include placing the fish in a paper or foil parcel before baking, or pan-frying it for a couple of minutes instead. 

Salmon experts at the Wild Alaskan company sat you should your salmon’s skin on. You should also remember that the fish keeps cooking after it’s been removed from the heat. 

Alternatively, you can use a meat thermometer ― the fish is done when it reads 45-50°C at its thickest point, the BBC says.