Cryptic crossword clue
Starts to seal exterior around raw salmon 5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word SEARS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
S
E
A
R
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Starts to seal exterior around raw salmon" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case starts to seal exterior around raw salmon = sears.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does SEARS mean?

SEARS verb
  1. To char, scorch, or burn the surface of (something) with a hot instrument.
  2. To wither; to dry up.
  3. To make callous or insensible.
  4. To mark permanently, as if by burning.

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