Wild Salmon Season

Fresh, wild salmon season is here and there’s nothing more delicious (not to mention healthy) than a grilled or pan fried salmon fillet!

Since wild salmon is seasonal, I like to buy it at the peak to make sure it’s the freshest with the widest variety. When I shop for salmon, I look for a fillet that is moist on both the skin and fish sides. There are different species of salmon, some with higher oil content which makes the salmon stronger with a richer flavor. Some salmon is farm raised and while some say they can’t tell the difference from wild caught salmon, I can. The meaty part isn’t anywhere near as colorful and it even seems a bit on the dry side. This is a previous blog I wrote about salmon and health benefits.
http://themarthareview.com/s-is-for-salmon/

King Salmon

King Salmon is the highest oil content, giving it a distinct flavor. The flesh is a rich, red color, almost vibrant. Because of the oil content, King Salmon has a buttery taste and holds it’s moisture when cooked. I like to pan fry my King Salmon.

Sockeye Salmon

Sockeye also has a deep red flesh with medium oil content, giving it a rich flavor but slightly milder than King Salmon. Sockeye is my favorite and I love to grill or pan fry my Sockeye Salmon.

Coho Salmon

Because Coho Salmon is lower in oil content, it is more mild than the others. It also is more of an orange-red, not nearly as vibrant like the King or Sockeye. Coho salmon is good on wood planks or sauteed. I have eaten Coho Salmon but favorite is Sockeye.

Pan Fried Salmon

I love the skin on salmon! When I pan fry it, I add a small amount of butter in the pan, put the skin side down and let it brown, I like it really brown! Next I flip to the meaty side and continue to cook until the desired amount of doneness. I like my salmon medium to medium well instead of well done. After I’ve flipped my salmon, I add a pat of butter to the top and squeeze lemon juice over the skin side. When it starts turning a light pink, I remove it from the heat and let it continue to cook a bit more.

Grilled Salmon

Grilling salmon is done similar to pan fried, I have the grill heated up and put it skin side down because I like it crispy. I use a grill mat to make sure I don’t lose any of the delicious salmon through the grill slats. Grilling salmon only takes about 10 minutes to cook through and if you over cooked it, the salmon will be a the dry side. The less amount you cook the salmon, the better it tastes and more juicy it is.

Lemon Butter Sauce

Lemon butter sauce is my old standby, it’s quick and easy to make when I’m in a hurry or hungry. All I do is put about a tablespoon of butter in a microwave dish and heat until melted. Squeeze in lemon juice to taste and drizzle over the salmon. Delicious!

Raspberry Sauce

The quickest way to cook salmon is with lemon butter sauce but my favorite is my super delicious raspberry/blackberry sauce I make for my salmon. It is SO good and can double as a topping on ice cream or cheese cake if you have any left! This is where you can find my recipe.
http://themarthareview.com/super-delicious-salmon-sauce/

Brown Sugar Sauce

This is another sauce I make, it’s a brown sugar sauce! When using this recipe, I melt butter and brown sugar together and drizzle over the salmon as it cooks. The brown sugar flavor goes through the salmon for an oh so good taste!
http://themarthareview.com/delicious-brown-sugar-salmon-sauce/

Salmon Patties

Oh there are also salmon patties!I use salmon fillets and shred it or just take a can of salmon. Mix with bread crumbs, onion, seasoning and eggs, make them into patties and fry up with butter for a quick and easy meal! When my granddaughter was visiting, we made salmon pattie sliders, delicious! Do you like salmon? What is your favorite and how do you prepare it?