Six Pro Tips For Cooking This Season's Fresh Wild Salmon Catch

Forbes

a day ago

Salmon season has started in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, the arrival celebrated by fish fans across the map. Here are a few ways to make the most delicious dishes with those ruby red fresh fillets.
Best way to avoid salmon sticking to the grill? Slather that fillet in mayo. Seriously, it works.
This heated debate has raged for years with wild salmon advocates pointing out that fish raised in pens in the ocean cause pollution and spread disease to wild fish. For many, it comes down to price point and taste. Anyone who's taken a bite of fresh wild salmon can attest to its deeply complex flavors and rich texture.
There has been major advances in the practice of freezing wild salmon so it's available year-round. But there's nothing quite like just-caught king and sockeye, so…
When it comes to properly cooking fresh salmon, Seattle-based chef Tom Douglas says it starts with buying a quality product. 'Look for bright scales, and if you're able, lightly run finger along the flesh. If it comes back a little orange, it's likely been around a while,' he said in a recent phone interview. 'If it's bright and slippery, it's super fresh.' He also suggests sticking to portions closest to the collar, 'skip the tail portion if you can.'
Douglas advises shopping at a fish monger that offers whole fish that the crew will fillet to order, but 'that's not always easy to do.'
Seattle-based chef and restaurateur Tom Douglas has made wild salmon an essential dish during his ... More decades of cooking in the Pacific Northwest.
Douglas emphasized the importance of checking for stray pin bones, again taking a hands-on approach, running your finger along the flesh. 'You don't want to have anyone whining at your table about choking on bones,' he said, chuckling.
Douglas describes his signature Rub With Love salmon seasoning as a blend that promotes a golden sear. 'It's got a little brown sugar, paprika and thyme,' he said.
Another very Pacific Northwest approach is using Madrona Smoked Sea Salt from San Juan Island Sea Salt, which brings a mild caramel character to the mix.
Fire up a non-stick skillet – such as a Scanpan – if you're going for a sear. Cooking it over medium to medium-high heat for a few minutes is a good start. 'After you flip it, turn off the heat and wait another two or three minutes,' he advised.
Always use a meat thermometer to determine when it's done, cooking the fish to 120 degrees. It just takes the guess work out of it, he emphasized. He uses a ThermoPro.
Sounds easy? The challenge with salmon is the wildly varying thickness of a fillet, which, again drives home that advice to check the temp with a digital thermometer.
Dee's Seafood sells fresh salmon from the waters of Hood Canal in Washington state.
For suggestions on cooking salmon on the grill, Craig Goldwyn, aka Meathead, is a go-to resource. He's got a new book called "The Meathead Method: A BBQ Hall of Famer's Secrets and Science on BBQ, Grilling and Outdoor Cooking", a 400-plus page tome that takes readers on a deep dive into science-based techniques and serves up an extensive assortment of recipes. Alton Brown wrote the forward and called it 'The only book on outdoor cookery you'll ever need.'
When it comes to salmon, Meathead is a proponent of hot smoking. He suggests keeping the temp in the smoker fairly low, 'between 175 and 225 degrees,' Meathead said in a recent phone interview. 'It only takes about an hour to cook. You want to pull it off when the fish hits 125 degrees. It's really makes for a lovely meal."
When it comes to a summer salmon feast, Douglas is all-in on the classic combo of asparagus and some kind of spuds. 'I would probably do a warm potato salad, adding a mustard vinaigrette to some steamed potatoes,' he said.
Or, you could serve up a variation of the old favorite, fish and chips, partnering that perfectly prepared fillet with your favorite potato chips. Again, in keeping with that Northwest theme, it's tough to beat Tim's Cascade Chips.
When it comes to a summer picnic, it's tough to top perfectly grilled wild salmon and potato chips.