Emblazoned across the grocery store flier was the weekly seafood special: “Atlantic Salmon Fillet Fresh Farm-Raised Chilean.”
Huh? Can a fish come from the Atlantic and be raised on a farm? And last time we checked, wasn’t Chile on the Pacific Ocean? Were we missing a geography lesson?
Walk up to five different seafood counters and chances are you will be bombarded by five different adjectives on signs propped against sides of salmon. Common sightings include Atlantic, Icelandic, Alaskan and, in season, Copper River.
Regardless of whether consumers know what type of salmon they are purchasing, they’re buying it in record numbers. Salmon has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. With more than a 20 percent increase in 1999, the most recent year for which statistics are available, salmon became the third most popular seafood in the United States, behind tuna and shrimp, according to the National Fisheries Institute.
This may be due, in part, to salmon’s status as a nutrient-dense fish. It is high in protein, high in the antioxidant vitamin E and in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s reportedly reduce both cholesterol and blood-pressure levels and strengthen the immune system. In October, the American Heart Association’s revised Dietary Guidelines recommended consuming at least two servings (three to five ounces each) per week of seafood high in omega-3 fatty acids for cardio-protective effect.
Salmon can range from thick, supple fillets in magnificent hues of reddish orange and marbled with fat to thin, pale pink, mushy-looking specimens. When you’re buying a whole fish, how do you know what’s inside? And when you’re purchasing steaks or fillets, how do you know which will taste the best? Which should be simply grilled? Which needs to be rubbed with herbs to
boost its bland flavor? What does it mean if a fish is farm-raised? And how wild is “wild?”
In preparation for these months when salmon from all over is swimming into the markets, we investigated. Now we can walk up to the seafood counter feeling confident instead of baffled. And you can too.
Wild salmon
To understand why some salmon tastes lackluster and some robust, you must first comprehend the ideal life of a salmon.
Wild salmon’s characteristic traits — a silky, supple consistency coupled with a delicate, flaky texture and rich, buttery flavor — are as much a result of its natural environment as its own biology. Salmon is anadromous, meaning it hatches in fresh-water rivers, swims out to salt water for most of its adult life and instinctively returns to its natal river in time to reach the shallow waters by fall when it spawns. (The females lay the eggs and the males fertilize them.)
Years of battling chilly, turbulent ocean currents result in a lean, firm flesh that is marbled with fat. Another insulating layer of fat is just under the skin. Wild salmon’s brilliant reddish-orange hue stems from its diet of crustaceans and marine plant life.
The migratory instinct to spawn kicks in after one to four years at sea, depending on the species. The colder the water and the longer the journey to spawn, the more fat and muscle the fish will have reserved. Once the salmon reaches the river where it was born, it must still swim far upstream. It ceases to eat, instead relying on stored reserves of fat and protein for energy. Ideally, salmon are caught, either by line or net, as soon as they reach the mouth of the river, or shortly thereafter, the better to capture the delicate texture and pronounced flavor.
This phenomenon explains the popularity and rich taste of salmon from the Copper, Yukon and Columbia Rivers in the northwestern United States and Canada. These waterways, stretching more than 1,000 miles, are situated far north and are ice cold. Since salmon in these rivers must cover such a long distance, they must return to the river earlier in the season to spawn by fall. As such, these rivers produce the fish that kick off the wild salmon season.
Unfortunately, those little white cards at the seafood counter don’t always indicate the type of salmon or where it was caught, but they may contain some useful information. Read on.
Salmon species
The two basic species of salmon are Pacific and Atlantic. Both are indigenous to the Northern Hemisphere. Pacific salmon die after spawning once; Atlantic salmon do not.
Once both oceans were teeming with salmon, but today Pacific wild salmon is endangered in places and Atlantic wild salmon is nearly extinct.
Pacific salmon
Although some Pacific salmon is available on a very limited basis year-round, the prime salmon season runs from mid-May through late September. There are six types of Pacific salmon but only three are commonly sold fresh: king or chinook, sockeye or red, coho or silver. The other three are chum or dog, pink or humpback and steelhead. (Steelhead, long referred to as a trout, was recently reclassified as salmon.)
Five of these fish are protected in areas of northern California, Washington and Oregon under the Endangered Species Act. As a result, approximately 90 percent of the salmon caught in U.S. waters comes from Alaskan rivers.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game enforces strict conservation efforts with regard to commercial fishing. In accordance with Alaskan law, only a limited number of fishing permits are allowed and the commercial salmon harvest may officially begin only after a threshold number of salmon have escaped up the river to spawn; this “escapement” is closely monitored by biologists charged with overseeing some 15,000 salmon streams throughout the state. This can, and does, result in a rather unpredictable season opener, though for the much ballyhooed Copper River, the season typically commences in mid-May.
King: The chinook, or king, salmon boasts the highest name recognition of any wild salmon though it accounts for just 1 percent of the overall catch. It is prized for its vibrant orange hue and its high fat content (and resulting buttery texture). The largest of the Pacific salmon, it averages between 15 and 40 pounds but sometimes weighs more than 100 pounds.
It is in season from May through September, peaking from late May through June. King salmon are perhaps most commonly known for their association with the Copper River, though king salmon and Copper River salmon are not synonymous. King salmon spawns in many other rivers and streams, and other Pacific salmon exist in the Copper River. When you buy Copper River salmon, you are not buying a particular variety of fish; you are buying a fish from a certain river.
Sockeye: The flesh of the red, or sockeye, salmon, unlike most others, does not lose its vibrant hue when subjected to heat. It is often described as having an earthy, almost mineral, flavor, probably due to its plankton-based diet. Although less marbled than king, it is much oilier, so it can tolerate cooking over dry heat and is ideal for the grill.
Sockeye’s distinctive flavor and appearance are popular in Japan, where it figures largely in sushi and sashimi. It can cost more than $40 per pound in Japan. It is gaining popularity in the United States, where it once went mostly to canneries.
It is a much-smaller fish than king, averaging about 6 pounds, with thinner fillets. The peak catch occurs the first few days of July at Bristol Bay in Alaska.
Coho: Leaner and firmer than king and sockeye, the coho, or silver, salmon is pinkish to red-orange. Compared with king and sockeye, its flesh, though still firm, is more delicate, with a finer texture and somewhat milder, sweeter flavor. It is in markets from July through October. Slightly smaller and more slender than king, coho weigh, on average, 10 pounds.
Chum and pink: The two smallest types of Pacific salmon, chum and pink (or humpback), are leaner, milder and softer than the other Pacific salmon. They are typically smoked or canned and are rarely sold fresh. Chum salmon is often dubbed “dog” because of being used by Alaskans as dog food.
Atlantic salmon
The salmon that once swam wild in the Atlantic was bright pink (not orange like Pacific salmon) and slightly fattier than its West Coast cousin, nicely marbled with copious amounts of fat and omega-3 fatty acids. A single species, Atlantic salmon is now endangered and rarely found in the wild.
In response to overfishing and polluted waters, Atlantic salmon is now being raised in “farms,” and are also known as aquacultured, or farm-raised, salmon.
Farm-raised salmon: See the sign that says “Atlantic” next to the salmon at the fish counter? Those fish likely came from a farm, whether in Canada, Norway, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland or, increasingly, Chile and New Zealand.
Most farm-raised salmon spend the first six months in a fresh-water hatchery and are then transferred to offshore saltwater pens. These salmon are sometimes bland and mushy, yet their year-round availability and lower price make them attractive to many consumers.
These salmon, crowded into pens, exercise little, resulting in high fat content but with little marbling. Conservationists also point out that the waste from these fish can pollute natural bodies of water, endangering wild fish. Storms can tear open the pens, allowing farm-raised fish to commingle and compete with wild salmon, endangering the species.
Farm-raised salmon are sustained on a diet of processed feed, whereas wild salmon feed on crustaceans, which contain astaxanthin, a naturally occurring pigment that results in its vibrant color. To avoid an unattractive grayish salmon, fish farmers feed the salmon supplemental naturally occurring or synthetic dyes.
Farm-raised salmon are sometimes treated with antibiotics and pesticides. These fish are supposedly quarantined in clean water for up to a year before they are harvested and sent to market to ensure that such elements have been flushed from them.
In Canada, there is now genetically modified salmon. Nicknamed “super salmon,” it is injected with a growth hormone and engineered to grow faster and gain weight several times more quickly than typical Atlantic salmon.
Recently, some fish hatcheries have begun to release their farm-raised salmon into the wild to allow the fish to reap the benefits of a natural diet and turbulent waters. Its spawning instincts intact, the salmon conveniently return to the pen. However, the opportunity for interbreeding with wild salmon has made this practice controversial.
In Iceland some companies have begun raising fish in above-ground, self-contained pools. Ocean water is pumped in to create a whirlpool current. The byproducts of these fish do not pollute ocean waters.
As for that Atlantic salmon fillet fresh farm-raised Chilean in the supermarket ad? It’s simply an Atlantic species that is farm-raised in Chile.
Selecting and cooking your catch: Farmed fish can benefit from stronger seasoning
Salmon is popular, whether for weeknight meals or weekend entertaining, because it is so versatile. You can grill it, roast it, broil it, sear it, steam it or poach it.
Some methods work better with farm-raised salmon; others are better with wild salmon. In general, farm-raised salmon often needs coaxing to give it flavor; wild salmon, with its robust flavor and delicate texture, should be simply prepared.
Cooking times in recipes are approximate because salmon fillets and steaks vary in thickness. Note that salmon continues to cook for a few minutes after it is removed from the heat; it is cooked through when it flakes easily and is no longer opaque in the center.
Selecting salmon at the market
When selecting any fresh fish, use common sense and a few guiding principles. Fish should be packed on ice or perched atop a marble slab that rests on ice. It should smell briny, not fishy.
Steaks vs. fillets? Choose fillets if you don’t want skin because it is easy to remove. Other considerations are ease of eating, cooking technique and aesthetics. Keep the fish refrigerated until ready to cook (preferably on the day of purchase).
Steaks: Salmon steaks can be troublesome to eat because they contain small, almost invisible bones the size of straight pins. These bones can be painstakingly removed before cooking with tweezers or needle-nose pliers, but it is hard to find all of them, so diners must eat with some trepidation.
Steaks, which are cross sections of the fish, are commonly grilled, broiled, poached or steamed. They tend to hold together better than fillets when grilled or poached, owing to the band of skin encircling the flesh.
Fillets: Fillets rarely contain pin bones, resulting in a slightly higher price. It is wise, however, to run your fingertips along the curved, non-skin side of the raw fillet to feel for any bones at the junctures where the salmon naturally flakes.
Request a 1- to 2-pound center-cut portion and cut it into the desired number of servings. This ensures that pieces will be uniformly thick and tender; the thinner fillets found near the tail are leaner and tougher. The larger fillet may be carved into individual fillets after cooking, if desired. Fillets are versatile, but they tend to flake apart while being turned on the grill or removed from the poaching liquid. Those who like the tasty, crisp skin can keep it intact; others can remove it before or after cooking.
— Renee Schettler
Grilling wild or farmed salmon
If you splurge on wild salmon but once a year, outdoor grilling season is the time to do so. In one of nature’s most considerate acts, Pacific Northwest wild salmon season coincides with spring and summer grilling season.
Native Americans grilled their salmon on an untreated wooden board, which gave it the aroma of wood; the method, called planking, is still popular today. Wild salmon’s rich flavor begs for a modest preparation. You can’t go wrong with salt, pepper and perhaps a squeeze of lemon.
If you are grilling farm-raised salmon, you can spark its sometimes-bland flavor. In “Fish & Shellfish,” James Peterson shares a common Japanese tactic. Lightly sprinkle the fish with salt about two hours before cooking; it draws out excess moisture and gives the fish a firmer texture.
When grilling any type of salmon, remember that fish is delicate and shouldn’t be exposed to an extended fiery blast; it is best cooked using the indirect method. If you have a charcoal grill, build the fire on one side of the grill, or around the sides of the grill, leaving an empty space in the middle. Place a disposable aluminum drip pan in between or beside the coals to catch the fat and place the fish over the drip pan.
For a gas grill, if it has controls for the left and right, heat one side and place the drip pan and fish on the other side. If you have front and back burners, the fish should go in front and the heat in the back.
Oiling the grill helps to keep the fish from sticking. But it’s not a perfect solution. The trick is to minimize the sticking. Try strewing the oiled rack with thinly sliced assorted citrus fruits or whole green onions. The grill marks and some flavor will be sacrificed but the salmon remains unmarred; this technique is especially well suited for farm-raised salmon.
To grill whole salmon: Don’t bother with a marinade; it won’t penetrate the skin. Instead, make a few slashes, cutting at an angle about an inch or so deep, along the midsection of both sides of the salmon. Stuff the slits with aromatics, such as thinly sliced citrus or sprigs of herbs. Trim the tail, if necessary, or wrap it in foil. Grill the salmon, covered, over indirect heat until it is cooked through. Set aside for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
To grill salmon fillets, steaks or sides: If using marinated steaks or fillets, pat them dry. Sear, skin-side down if applicable, over direct heat 3-4 minutes. Transfer the fish to indirect heat and cook until the salmon is cooked through.
— R.S.
One simple source
Salmon’s rise in popularity and availability surprisingly has not led to an onslaught of information about the fish.
Now, James Peterson’s small new book, “Simply Salmon” ($19.95, Stewart, Tabori and Chang), has arrived to fill the gap. Peterson, the author of “Fish & Shellfish” and award-winning books on soups and vegetables, has turned his attention to salmon, he writes, because “for many of us salmon is the only fish we ever cook.” It is available in convenient sizes and turns over quickly in stores, so we can be assured of its freshness, he writes.
And so Peterson offers us the best techniques for cooking salmon and 65 recipes that range from simple (a whole salmon roasted in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper) to complicated (salmon and basil ravioli or salmon mole. Peterson’s own photographs add elegance and style to a book that all salmon aficionados will find worth owning.
— Carol Mighton Haddix
Salt-packed, oven-roasted salmon
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
The slower the better: Many restaurant chefs have turned to oven roasting to coax flavor from and retain moisture in salmon. Try this method from New York chef Tom Colicchio’s “Think Like a Chef.” Salmon fillets are packed and roasted in salt, a technique also commonly used to roast whole fish. With this method, the flavorful juices remain where they belong — in the salmon. Do not, however, use the oily sockeye variety with this technique and do not substitute kosher or table salt for the coarse sea salt; it will stick between the flakes of salmon.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
4 skin-on fillets salmon, 3-5 ounces each
4 cups coarse sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until oil shimmers. Add salmon fillets, skin-side down, about 1 inch apart; cook just until skin crisps, 1-2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Pour salt, working quickly, around and over each fillet, mounding it slightly and patting it gently to ensure each fillet is covered completely. Transfer skillet to oven; roast until it is cooked through and flakes easily, about 10 minutes.
2. Remove skillet from oven. Carefully brush away salt from top of salmon, using clean towel or spatula. (The top of the salmon should appear rare but the sides should be light pink and opaque.) Carefully transfer each fillet and surrounding salt using spatula to rimmed baking sheet. Brush away all remaining salt using towel. Transfer fillets to individual plates, season with pepper to taste. If desired, drizzle with oil to taste.
Nutrition information per 5-ounce serving:
320 calories, 21 g fat, 59% calories from fat, 5 g saturated fat, 95 mg cholesterol, 300 mg sodium, 32 g protein, 0 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber
Couscous-crusted salmon
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Standing time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
This subtly spiced salmon recipe, adapted from Alastair Hendy’s “Cooking for Friends,” can be strengthened by doubling the spices in the crust. For an elegant presentation, Hendy halves the salmon lengthwise into “fingers” and serves them alongside a melange of blanched asparagus tips, pattypan squash, zucchini and sugar snap peas tossed with a few tablespoons butter and a spoonful of coarse-grain mustard.
3/4 cup each: water, instant couscous
1 clove garlic, minced
Grated zest from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon ground, each: cumin, coriander, ginger
Salt, freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 fillets skinless salmon, 3-5 ounces each
1 tablespoon each: butter, olive oil
Chopped fresh mint and chives
1. Heat water to boil. Place couscous in large bowl. Pour boiling water over couscous; cover, set aside 5 minutes. Fluff with fork; cover, set aside 5 minutes. Fluff again; spread onto large plate lined with paper towels. Set aside to dry, 10 minutes. Return couscous to dry bowl. Add garlic, lemon zest, cumin, coriander, ginger and salt and pepper to taste; mix to combine.
2. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place flour on plate. Create an assembly line of flour, eggs and couscous mixture. Dredge each fillet first in flour, turning to coat both top and bottom and shaking to remove any excess. Dredge flour-coated top and bottom in the beaten egg, allowing any excess to drip off. Dredge top and bottom in couscous mixture, patting to ensure entire surface is coated. Transfer to plate; repeat with remaining fillets. Cover; refrigerate.
3. Heat butter and oil in large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Do not allow butter to brown. Add fish; sear, turning once, 2 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven; cook until salmon is cooked through, 5-10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. To serve, slice each fillet in half lengthwise. Divide salmon evenly among individual plates. Garnish with mint and chives.
Nutrition information per 5-ounce serving:
495 calories, 23 g fat, 42% calories from fat, 6 g saturated fat, 125 mg cholesterol, 150 mg sodium, 38 g protein, 3 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber
Sake salmon fillets
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Chilling time: 1 1/2 hours
Cooking time: 7 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
When only farm-raised salmon is available, try this recipe, which salts the fillet for a couple of hours before marinating them in rice wine. Your favorite marinade could be used in place of the wine. Even veteran chefs acknowledge that salmon cooked on a grill tends to stick, even if the grate is oiled first. So be prepared. Adapted from James Peterson’s “Fish and Shellfish.”
4 skinless salmon fillets, 3-5 ounces each
2 tablespoons kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup sake or white wine
Vegetable oil for grill
1. Place salmon on plate. Sprinkle both sides with salt. Cover; re-frigerate 1-2 hours. Rinse salmon under cold water; pat dry. Transfer salmon to bowl. Cover with sake, turning salmon to coat. Cover; refrigerate 30-60 minutes, turning once.
2. Heat grill to high. Drain salmon; pat dry with paper towels. Oil grill with vegetable oil. Sear salmon over direct heat, 3-4 minutes. Transfer fish to indirect heat; cook until salmon is cooked through, 4-7 minutes.
Nutrition information per 5-ounce serving:
315 calories, 19 g fat, 54% calories from fat, 5 g saturated fat, 95 mg cholesterol, 185 mg sodium, 32 g protein, 0 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber
