Good Fish_ Sustainable Seafood Recipes From the Pacific Coast - Becky Selengut [40]
Wild salmon in the Lower 48 have encountered threats to their survival from habitat loss due to dams, pollution (runoff from agriculture and lawn chemicals, pollution from cars, etc.), and development. Introduced species, such as escaped farmed salmon, are another challenge to wild salmon. These species can affect reproductive rates, compete with wild salmon for spawning grounds, and spread diseases and parasites to the wild fish. These problems don’t affect Alaska wild salmon as significantly for two reasons: 1) the lower human population in Alaska means less impact on wild salmon and their habitats, and 2) Alaska does not allow salmon to be farmed in state waters.
The health of Alaskan salmon stocks is also a testament to good management practices. In the 1950s the Alaskan salmon fisheries collapsed from overfishing. In 1959 Alaska became a state and included guidelines in its constitution for the sustainable management of all its natural resources. Other Pacific Coast salmon fisheries have also reformed their management to reflect sustainable fishing practices; but more work needs to be done, as our land-based lives are in conflict with the pristine habitat salmon require to reproduce.
BY ANY OTHER NAME: I made up a mnemonic to remember the five salmon species: Can (chinook) Pink (pink) Salmon (sockeye) Cure (coho) Cancer (chum)?
Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), aka kings, springers, and tyee, are the largest of the salmon species (often more than 25 pounds, the record chinook weighed in at 146 pounds!) and the one with the most fat. Chinook salmon are beloved throughout the world. Like oysters that are often known by the waters in which they grow, salmon differ in fat content and flavor depending on the rivers they were spawned in and what they ate on their way home to spawn. Copper River salmon is a well-known example of a fish marketed by its river’s name. A rare genetic variation that affects only 1 percent of chinook causes its flesh to be white; the meat is sold as “white king” or “ivory king.” Even rarer is the marbled chinook caught off the Washington coast. Try white or marbled chinook if you happen to see it.
I encourage you (as does your wallet), however, to explore the other four species of wild salmon. Think of chinook as you would a New York steak or filet mignon: best for occasional eating, whereas more reasonably priced cuts are great on a more regular basis. There is much to enjoy in a well-handled, fresh or carefully frozen pink, sockeye, coho, or chum salmon.
Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), aka humpback or humpies, are the smallest of the salmon species (weighing from 3 to 12 pounds) and the most plentiful. They are typically sold in cans or smoked, though if you find them fresh, I encourage you to cook with the fillets. Keep in mind that pink salmon are lean and therefore less forgiving in the overcooking department.
Sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka), aka reds or blueback, average 6 to 9 pounds and have deep red flesh and thinner fillets than the much bigger chinook. Sockeyes are valued for their delicious fat (second to chinook), firm texture, and pronounced flavor.
Coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch), aka silvers, are a popular sport fish in the Pacific Northwest, valued for their reckless, spirited chase of a lure. They average 6 to 12 pounds. Of the five salmon species, coho has the third-highest amount of fat and should be considered a great value: it has good flavor and is much more affordable per pound than sockeye or chinook.
Chum (Oncorhynchus keta), aka keta or dogs, ranging from 6 to 17 pounds, are the last salmon species to spawn, and are considered the least valuable commercially. Chum often get a bad rap in the culinary world. I find this to be a crisis of imagination and a waste of a good protein