Now is the season for wild Alaskan salmon, but you won’t find it fresh in our stores. Once caught, it is blast frozen to lower the core temperature to 40 below, freezing the fish all the way through before the cells begin to break down.
Treated this way, the salmon remains “fresh” for as long as it’s kept deep-frozen. Of the five Alaskan salmon varieties, the three you’ll find in our fish markets and co-ops are king, coho and sockeye. Wild-caught salmon is considered the best choice by the prestigious Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program. Farmed salmon, like other livestock, involves crowded manmade environments that can leave the fish susceptible to infections and diseases that require antibiotics.
Wild-caught salmon that swim in clear, cold water are generally healthier and certainly tastier. These fish are high in Omega 3′s, vitamin D and minerals, especially iron. Because of their natural diet, which is rich in crustaceans, the color and flavor of wild-caught salmon is deep and distinct.
Wild-caught salmon is not inexpensive, but its rich, ruddy, lustrous flesh makes it well worth the price. This fish has so much flavor that it needs little more than a sprinkle of salt, pepper and a few herbs. It’s best to cook it in a heavy skillet (nonstick or cast iron) that’s large enough to not crowd the fish. Set the pan over a hot flame so the fish sizzles on contact. It will brown and crisp without overcooking when transferred to a hot oven.
Pan-Roasted Salmon With Cherry Tomatoes
Serves 4 to 6.
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
- 3 scallions, trimmed and sliced in half
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 salmon fillet, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
Add the tomatoes and the salmon to the pan, skin side up, and cook for about 2 minutes. Put the pan in the oven and roast about 3 minutes; remove and peel the skin off the salmon. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add a few of the lemon slices to the pan.
Return the pan to the oven and continue roasting until the salmon begins to flake and is cooked through, about 5 minutes. It should register 145 degrees on a digital thermometer. Remove from oven, cut salmon into serving portions and serve with the scallions, tomatoes and lemon spooned over the top and garnished with remaining lemon slices and chopped basil and thyme.
