Farm Raised Salmon

Farm raised salmon has  pretty bad reputation, but if you’ve been avoiding it, I think it’s worth a second look. Wild salmon is chock full of omega fats, but there is a limited supply, and the season is short, meaning that except for a few months a year wild salmon is only available frozen. It is also very expensive, around $30.oo per pound compared the $12.00 for the Atlantic farmed salmon I bought today at Whole Foods Market. If you have given up farmed salmon perhaps it’s time to rethink that decision. There are several sources (including Whole Foods Market) where you can purchase responsibly farmed salmon, that is delicious, has plenty of omega fats, and is a viable and healthy choice. 

I like wild salmon, but give me fresh over frozen fish every time, and so I regularly eat farm raised. I have seen fish labeled wild salmon in the winter, and I was assured it was fresh not frozen, clearly the person waiting on me was either lying, or being lied to; unless you live in the Pacific Northwest there is no such thing as fresh wild salmon in the winter.

I am fairly choosy about where I buy my meat and chicken, but I will only buy fish in a few places, and I advise you to do the same. Sadly many people who work in supermarket seafood departments don’t know anything about the product. I’ve talked before about making sure you buy dry scallops, and I can’t tell you how often I ask if the scallops a store is selling are dry and the salesperson doesn’t know what I’m talking about. You should only buy fish from a knowledgeable fish monger, or you may end up with poor quality or bad fish. Ask a few questions, such as where the fish is from, when was it delivered, and what is the best way to prepare it. If they don’t know the answer to all three questions buy your fish somewhere else!

Cooking salmon is a simple undertaking. Because it is fatty it has good flavor and texture, and it is more forgiving if cooked a bit too long. Cooking it on the stove can leave you with a fishy selling house (even if you have a great exhaust fan) but roasting it can limit the smell, and mess. Salmon works with lots of flavors that you probably have on hand.  You can mix some mustard and mayo together and add some fresh or dried dill, or sweet chili sauce (the Asian kind), maybe some mayo and capers. To make ours tonight I drizzled olive oil and used dried dill, salt and smoked paprika. I set my convection oven to 375°F, and cooked the fish for 17 minutes, then turned the broiler on for one minute. The fish was just about perfect!  I like my salmon cooked just until it is no longer dark pink inside, but if you like it more well done leave it in another 2-3 minutes.