Sushihunter
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Everything you need to know about B.C. salmon
By Eric Akis, Times ColonistSeptember 18, 2008
>Note: Go to above link to see photographs - they could not be linked here<
Photograph by: John McKay/Victoria Times Colonist, Times Colonist
If I had to crown just one of the fine foods that come from B.C., wild salmon would be king.
It's a fish that means a lot to so many on a range of different levels -- be it spiritually and ceremoniously for First Nations, financially for the fishermen who catch it, or appreciatively for cooks of all stripes who love to prepare this wild delicacy. With regard to the latter group, before tying up your apron and trying the tasty salmon recipes, check out the purchasing and preparation tips below, followed by information on the five species of wild salmon commercially harvested in B.C.
BUYING AND COOKING SALMON
Wild salmon is rich in protein, low in saturated fat and high in polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, which medical research suggests might help reduce the risk of heart disease.
But this nutritional upside won't mean a whole lot if the salmon you bought was not fresh.
Many food professionals, including myself, say that when buying fresh fish, such as a salmon, you should smell it first. When very fresh, it will have a mild, sea-like aroma. If the salmon smells very fishy, it's old and should be avoided.
The trouble with this advice, though, is that most people are too shy or feel strange about smelling the fish in the store. Also, in some supermarkets, the salmon is prepackaged, so you couldn't smell it anyway.
However, if you don't want to or can't use your nose, there are other ways to tell if the salmon is fresh. Start by buying salmon from a vendor that sells a lot, ensuring a fresh supply comes in daily.
Closely look at the salmon you want to buy. If very fresh, salmon fillets and steaks will have firm flesh that glistens. If they look dull and/or are falling apart, the fish is old.
When you buy whole salmon, the fish's eyes should be bright and clear, the skin should be shiny, and the body should look firm, not sunken. It's best to buy fresh salmon the day you want to cook it, but if need be it could be stored in the coldest part of your fridge for a day or two.
Salmon fillets have small pin bones embedded in the flesh. Fish retailers now often sell fillets with these bones removed. If they haven't and you want to remove them before cooking, place the fillet on a work surface, skin-side down.
Run your finger down the upper middle of the flesh. The bones should pop up. Grab the end of the bones with tweezers or pliers and pull them out.
Salmon steaks and fillets are cooked when the colour turns opaque, the flakes begin to slightly separate and the white fat starts to seep out between those flakes. When touched, cooked salmon should feel slightly firm, not hard, a sign you have over-cooked it, and not soft, a sign it's not cooked through.
The old fisherman's rule of thumb for cooking fish is to allow 10 minutes per inch of thickness. I use this technique when cooking whole salmon wrapped in foil on the barbecue and it seems to work.
COMMERCIALLY HARVESTED WILD SALMON SPECIES
Chum: This salmon, also called silver-bright, has firm, reddish-pink flesh that can be rich or pale in colour depending where the fish was caught. Due to its lower fat content, chum is fairly mild in flavour and slightly drier in texture than other wild salmon. Also, because of its lower fat content, chum is best suited to cooking methods that will add moisture, such as poaching, steaming or cooking wrapped in foil on the barbecue with saucy ingredients.
Coho: This wild salmon species has a vibrant and firm reddish-orange flesh with a full and appealing flavour. Coho's rich fat content makes it a good choice for grilling or broiling, as the fish will nicely sear on the outside, but still be moist in the middle. For the same reason, I also like to pan-sear coho fillets in a very hot skillet until the fish is crispy on the outside, and just cooked in the middle.
Chinook: The largest species of wild salmon, also called spring and king salmon. The firm flesh of this salmon can range in colour from deep red to ivory. Wild chinook salmon's high fat content imparts a distinct, rich flavour. Chinook lends itself to a range of cooking methods, such as pan-searing, baking, and slicing and stir-frying. Its firm and fat-rich flesh also makes it great for grilling.
Pink: This unbelievably budget-friendly species of salmon has a light rose-pink flesh. It has a mild, delicate flavour and a texture that is softer than the other five species of salmon commercially harvested. Pink salmon are most often sold whole and are great to cook that way on the barbecue. Fresh pink salmon are also sometimes sold filleted, which I like to cut into portions and pan-fry or bake.
Sockeye: This small-flaked salmon species has firm, intensely red flesh that retains its appealing colour even after cooking. Sockeye's high fat content gives it a rich flavour and opens up the fish to a wide range of preparations, such as grilling, baking, pan-searing or cooking on a cedar plank.
Note: My source for some of the information above was B.C. Seafood Online. Their very informative website is bcseafoodonline.com
Eric Akis's columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday. The author of the Everyone Can Cook series of books can be reached at ericakis@shaw.ca
© Copyright (c)
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
Everything you need to know about B.C. salmon
By Eric Akis, Times ColonistSeptember 18, 2008
>Note: Go to above link to see photographs - they could not be linked here<
Photograph by: John McKay/Victoria Times Colonist, Times Colonist
If I had to crown just one of the fine foods that come from B.C., wild salmon would be king.
It's a fish that means a lot to so many on a range of different levels -- be it spiritually and ceremoniously for First Nations, financially for the fishermen who catch it, or appreciatively for cooks of all stripes who love to prepare this wild delicacy. With regard to the latter group, before tying up your apron and trying the tasty salmon recipes, check out the purchasing and preparation tips below, followed by information on the five species of wild salmon commercially harvested in B.C.
BUYING AND COOKING SALMON
Wild salmon is rich in protein, low in saturated fat and high in polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, which medical research suggests might help reduce the risk of heart disease.
But this nutritional upside won't mean a whole lot if the salmon you bought was not fresh.
Many food professionals, including myself, say that when buying fresh fish, such as a salmon, you should smell it first. When very fresh, it will have a mild, sea-like aroma. If the salmon smells very fishy, it's old and should be avoided.
The trouble with this advice, though, is that most people are too shy or feel strange about smelling the fish in the store. Also, in some supermarkets, the salmon is prepackaged, so you couldn't smell it anyway.
However, if you don't want to or can't use your nose, there are other ways to tell if the salmon is fresh. Start by buying salmon from a vendor that sells a lot, ensuring a fresh supply comes in daily.
Closely look at the salmon you want to buy. If very fresh, salmon fillets and steaks will have firm flesh that glistens. If they look dull and/or are falling apart, the fish is old.
When you buy whole salmon, the fish's eyes should be bright and clear, the skin should be shiny, and the body should look firm, not sunken. It's best to buy fresh salmon the day you want to cook it, but if need be it could be stored in the coldest part of your fridge for a day or two.
Salmon fillets have small pin bones embedded in the flesh. Fish retailers now often sell fillets with these bones removed. If they haven't and you want to remove them before cooking, place the fillet on a work surface, skin-side down.
Run your finger down the upper middle of the flesh. The bones should pop up. Grab the end of the bones with tweezers or pliers and pull them out.
Salmon steaks and fillets are cooked when the colour turns opaque, the flakes begin to slightly separate and the white fat starts to seep out between those flakes. When touched, cooked salmon should feel slightly firm, not hard, a sign you have over-cooked it, and not soft, a sign it's not cooked through.
The old fisherman's rule of thumb for cooking fish is to allow 10 minutes per inch of thickness. I use this technique when cooking whole salmon wrapped in foil on the barbecue and it seems to work.
COMMERCIALLY HARVESTED WILD SALMON SPECIES
Chum: This salmon, also called silver-bright, has firm, reddish-pink flesh that can be rich or pale in colour depending where the fish was caught. Due to its lower fat content, chum is fairly mild in flavour and slightly drier in texture than other wild salmon. Also, because of its lower fat content, chum is best suited to cooking methods that will add moisture, such as poaching, steaming or cooking wrapped in foil on the barbecue with saucy ingredients.
Coho: This wild salmon species has a vibrant and firm reddish-orange flesh with a full and appealing flavour. Coho's rich fat content makes it a good choice for grilling or broiling, as the fish will nicely sear on the outside, but still be moist in the middle. For the same reason, I also like to pan-sear coho fillets in a very hot skillet until the fish is crispy on the outside, and just cooked in the middle.
Chinook: The largest species of wild salmon, also called spring and king salmon. The firm flesh of this salmon can range in colour from deep red to ivory. Wild chinook salmon's high fat content imparts a distinct, rich flavour. Chinook lends itself to a range of cooking methods, such as pan-searing, baking, and slicing and stir-frying. Its firm and fat-rich flesh also makes it great for grilling.
Pink: This unbelievably budget-friendly species of salmon has a light rose-pink flesh. It has a mild, delicate flavour and a texture that is softer than the other five species of salmon commercially harvested. Pink salmon are most often sold whole and are great to cook that way on the barbecue. Fresh pink salmon are also sometimes sold filleted, which I like to cut into portions and pan-fry or bake.
Sockeye: This small-flaked salmon species has firm, intensely red flesh that retains its appealing colour even after cooking. Sockeye's high fat content gives it a rich flavour and opens up the fish to a wide range of preparations, such as grilling, baking, pan-searing or cooking on a cedar plank.
Note: My source for some of the information above was B.C. Seafood Online. Their very informative website is bcseafoodonline.com
Eric Akis's columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday. The author of the Everyone Can Cook series of books can be reached at ericakis@shaw.ca
© Copyright (c)
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
