The Wisdom of Salmon...

[khiemtran]

So, in Australia, I understood salmon perfectly...



It comes in tins as "pink" and "red", fresh from the fishmonger as cutlets and fillets (usually with "atlantic" on the front) or it comes smoked from places like Norway or Tasmania.

In Seattle though, I learned about Coho, Chinook (or King), Keta, Pink and Sockeye, and why the arrival of Copper River salmon (air-freighted from Alaska) was such a big deal. And how you can have a five minute conversation with a fishmonger over just why you should one piece of fish over another.



These shots are from the fish shop in Pikes Place where they throw fish over the counter (mostly from the outside in) for no real discernible reason other than theatre. There was quite a crowd around it every time I went past, but I didn't see much fish being sold. At another fish shop, while the man out front was trying to get a sale from us, his workmate behind the counter threw him a fillet so we could look at it (yep, that's a piece of fish).

I did get to try one piece of alder-planked wild King salmon while I was over there and it was certainly special. I think my standards for salmon have just been ruined now.

Ah, well...

Comments

[carl-allery.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, yes. Tinned as red or pink and of course, oak-smoked Scottish salmon is always popular. I'm sure I'd be considered a barbarian for nuking frozen cutlets, but the end result is similar to steaming and I only usually add butter and, or lemon juice, so I can still taste the fish. :) Nice pictures.

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

I'll usually pan fry the cutlets or fillets, usually with some combination of soy, garlic and sugar (to make a caramel sauce), or occasionally make a sweet curry with them. I also like using the tinned salmon to make fish burgers - great for a cheap quick meal if we run out of meat during the week.