Something fishy about farm-raised salmon

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7/19/06

Memphis, Tennesee

There's an ocean of evidence that eating wild salmon is far preferable to farm-raised salmon.

Here are my top three reasons:

Salmon farms dump tons of pollution into oceans.

Farm salmon are dosed with antibiotics and artificial dye to make their flesh a palatable hue. Their feed is fish-oil based, which carries concentrated levels of PCBs.

Salmon farms have hurt the fishing industry, driving down prices.

Of course, there are arguments supporting the other side. And, sure, some salmon farming practices have improved in recent years. There's a growing market for organic farm-raised fish. You could never label wild salmon organic because there's no way to determine what it's eaten.

All that said, there's still so much confusion about this Omega-3-rich fish. For instance, not all wild salmon is created equal. The "Keta" salmon on sale at Schnucks last week for the bargain price of $2.99 is otherwise known as chum or "dog fish"... kind of the bottom feeder of the salmon family.

Still, that salmon is great for smoking. And it should be fine on the grill. I've had good luck quick-curing it with a coating of kosher salt (for at least 20 minutes), washing that off and marinating it in sake for an hour before cooking it. Seems to firm up the flesh.

This is also a fine candidate for baking on a cedar plank. That treatment might be red-hot trendy, but it dates back to Native American villages on the West Coast. If/when you do cook with a plank, be sure and soak it first. (I learned my lesson the hard way after starting a small fire under the broiler. Honey, where's that fire extinguisher?)

I've heard of plank enthusiasts who soak their wood and then keep the planks in the freezer so they're ready to go anytime.

Now, as far as other wild salmon options go, I always ask the origin when I order it at restaurants or at the seafood counter in a supermarket. This is prime Alaskan salmon season, with stores such as Wild Oats offering Copper River King and Sockeye. I prefer the Sockeye, which is a little milder. Almost like a trout.

However, I loved a King salmon preparation at Wally Joe in East Memphis recently. He sourced the fish from the Yukon River in Alaska, a very limited run. It was a spectacular dish, and the chef showed restraint, letting the flavor of the fish shine. Please, I don't need bacon wrapped around my wild salmon!
By Leslie Kelly – Memphis Commercial Appeal