Salmon
Salmon; it’s the king of seafood and easily recognisable with its distinct colour and rich flavours. Although renowned for its richness in fats, proteins and vitamins, it’s the versatility which makes salmon an excellent starting point for many dishes. Enjoy it baked, broiled, or done on the grill, smoked, poached or raw in a tartare. It can make a light snack or a hearty meal, works perfectly for breakfast lunch or dinner, and any leftovers translate beautifully into quiches, salads, pasta or dips. With such a broad range of options, it’s time we got more of this Omega-3 goodness into our diets.
A great salmon dish starts with a great salmon and, depending on your location, there are several different varieties available. The Chinook or King Salmon is the largest, reaching sizes of up to 90cm in length. The flavoursome meat and thicker filets of the Chinook make it one of the most prized among chefs and home cooks. Other types include Sockeye, Silver, Pink, Chum, Black and Atlantic Salmon. Aside from varieties, there is the option of either wild-caught or farmed salmon. Wild-caught is seasonal, making it difficult to find in supermarkets and, when it is available, the leaner meat and dark rich colour can make the price up to twice that of farmed salmon.
Farmed salmon became a necessity as the world’s salmon demand began outrunning supply, and these underwater farms fill the supermarket shelves without further depleting the natural resource. Because of their highly controlled diet, farmed salmon is higher in Omega-3 and fats, and the flesh is typically paler than that of their wild cousins.
Once you’ve decided on your preferred variety, look for salmon with bright and moist flesh – it should never smell fishy, nor be discoloured along the edges.
When buying a whole salmon, the eyes should be bright and clear, and the skin shiny. Keep your salmon refrigerated and be very careful when taking out the pin bones to keep the flesh whole and undamaged. Most chefs recommend leaving the skin on, as this helps keep the flesh together and also provides a natural barrier between the delicate fish and your cooking surface.
Preparation aside, there are a host of different cooking techniques and mouth-watering flavours to explore that make salmon a universal favourite and a go-to dish for entertaining friends and family. Think clean and classic sushi, pan-fried fillets caramelised with brown sugar or flaked and wrapped with spinach in a roulade.
With such tantalising options, our global appetite for quality fish isn’t likely to lessen any time soon. The increased infatuation with sushi and our growing enthusiasm for grilling guarantees delectable additions to our list of favourites, so whether grilled on a cedar plank or served raw in a fresh ceviche, salmon remains one of the favourite seafood choices universally.
