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SPECIES |
Chum salmon, pink salmon and sockeye salmon |
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BINOMIAL NAME |
Oncorhynchus keta, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha and Oncorhynchus nerka |
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FISHING METHODS |
Drift nets and purse seine |
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MSC CERTIFIED |
All salmon fisheries in Alaska (US) and Canada, various in Russia (for more information on the MSC see here) |
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TINNED OPTIONS |
Salmon in water, skinless and boneless salmon in water |
ALASKAN FISHERIES HAVE BEEN WORKING UNDER STRICT CATCH REGULATIONS SINCE 1959.
SALMON TARTARE WITH SOFT-BOILED EGGS AND SPRING ONIONS
SALMON, LEEK AND CREAM CHEESE QUICHE
WHEN it comes to tinned salmon, more and more varieties are becoming available: wild pink salmon, wild red salmon and farmed salmon, for example. The producer can also include the species on the label, which can be useful if you prefer the flavour of one to another. It’s also good to know whether or not the salmon has been preserved with the bones. Heat softens the nutritious bones and makes them digestible. The skin is often also preserved in the tin with the salmon.
WILD salmon have to swim a lot during their lifetime and that shows through in the flesh, as the fat is more evenly distributed compared to farmed salmon. The wild salmon’s firm flesh also generally has a stronger flavour. Farmed salmon can be found all over the world and European farming pools hold Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) but it is highly unlikely you’ll find Atlantic salmon in your tin as most tinned salmon is wild salmon from the coastal waters and rivers of Alaska. These seas and rivers are some of the cleanest in the world, which is important as the salmon’s fat easily retains impurities.
BECAUSE the fisheries have been working under strict catch regulations since 1959, the existence of the Alaskan salmon is not threatened. For years, scientists and fishermen – often Inuit – have been keeping track of how many salmon swim to the spawning grounds each year. Based on these numbers, they determine the catch. This approach has earned them the coveted MSC certification.
FIVE types of salmon that are known by the general public under their native name are caught during the season: the light pink chum or keta salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) is generally the cheapest. The humpback salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) is sold as pink salmon. The coho or silver salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) is important to fishermen because of the high price they fetch. The best salmon swim up river in the spring. The fatty sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka) or red salmon is available freshly smoked as well as tinned. The chinook or king salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) is the largest of the salmon family and those caught are mainly destined for the smokehouses.
IN Alaska, both the indigenous people and other Americans fish for salmon with an MSC certification and are bound by strict catch regulations. In summer, Yup’ik Eskimo Maxine casts her nets from her small boat into the fast-flowing Yukon, in the hope of catching lots of chum salmon which, according to Maxine, is the best salmon available.
ONE of the 6,200 inhabitants of Kodiak Island, Pat Pikus takes a different approach to salmon fishing: he sails out to open sea and uses ring nets. Fellow fishermen see Pat as one of the best salmon fishermen in Alaska. He catches pink salmon, sailing his family’s boat the Polar Star. The fishermen name the pink salmon after a village at the foot of the narrow Aleutian mountain range, an isthmus reaching a different time zone in the Pacific Ocean. Fishermen like Pat, who use ring nets in this part of Alaska, strictly adhere to the catch restrictions. A portion of his catch is destined for the Ocean Beauty cannery in Seattle, the same cannery where the Fish Tales tins are manufactured. Salmon fishing on the open sea in these tempestuous parts of the Pacific is not without its dangers. Pat and his men regularly save people from drowning in the freezing cold water.
STARTER
SERVES 4
2 tins of pink or red salmon, boneless and skinless (170g/6oz drained weight per tin), drained
5 tbsp mayonnaise
2 eggs, soft-boiled
3 spring onions, roughly chopped
freshly ground black pepper
4 slices of sourdough bread, toasted
• Mash the salmon with the mayonnaise to make a creamy tartare, then spoon onto a plate.
• Arrange the eggs on the tartare and sprinkle with the spring onions. Season with black pepper.
• Serve with toasted sourdough bread.
STARTER/MAIN COURSE
SERVES 4
2 leeks, white parts only, cut in half lengthways and finely sliced.
1 tbsp olive oil
a dash of white wine
3 eggs, beaten
250ml/9fl oz/generous 1 cup whipping cream
2 tins of red or pink salmon (215g/7½oz per tin), drained
30g/1oz butter, melted
8 sheets of ready-rolled puff pastry
150g/5½oz cream cheese
100g/3½oz bag of mixed salad
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and grease a 25cm/10in cake tin.
• Fry the leeks in the oil over a low heat until soft but not browned.
• Add the wine and bring to the boil, stirring to mix in the juices.
• Mix the eggs, cream, salmon and seasoning, then stir in the leeks.
• Line the tin with the puff pastry, prick the base with a fork and bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and press to flatten the base.
• Pour the egg-cream mixture into the base and dot with the cream cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes until set and golden brown. Serve with the salad.
STARTER
SERVES 4
5 leeks, white parts only
50g/1¾oz butter
3 floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper, peeled and cut into chunks
400ml/14floz/1⅔ cups chicken stock
ice cubes
1 tin of pink or red salmon, boneless and skinless (170g/6oz drained weight), drained and cut into chunks
1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
1 handful of chives, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground white pepper
• Chop 4 of the leeks. The remaining leek will serve as a garnish.
• Heat the butter in a deep, heavy-based pan, add the leeks and braise until soft, without allowing them to brown.
• Add the potatoes and chicken stock to the pan, bring to a simmer and leave to cook on a low heat until the potatoes are tender.
• Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil while you cut the remaining leek into thin rings. Parboil the leek in the boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and put into a bowl of iced water.
• Season the soup with salt and pepper. Heat the soup thoroughly and froth up with a stick blender.
• Spoon the soup into bowls and add the salmon, then garnish with the sliced pepper, leek rings and chives.
STARTER/MAIN COURSE
SERVES 2–4
2 tins of pink or red salmon, boneless and skinless (170g/6oz drained weight per tin), drained and cut into chunks
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp whipping cream, beaten to soft peaks
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices of sourdough bread, toasted if you like
• Mash the salmon in a bowl. Add the mayonnaise, whipped cream and cayenne pepper and mix to a fairly smooth consistency.
• Now add the lemon zest and the spring onion. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
• Spread on the sourdough slices and serve.
