All About Salmon

Nutrition, Health Benefits, Cooking, Farmed vs Wild

There are so many wonderful things about salmon that it’s hard to know where to start. It’s a fish which even people who don’t like fish (e.g. my husband) can enjoy. It’s firm enough to grill, can be cooked in many different ways, and doesn’t dry out as easily as many other fish. It comes fresh, frozen, smoked, and canned. Wild salmon can be eaten without fear of excess contaminants or mercury, and it has a very high nutrient profile, including the highly-prized Omega-3 fatty acids. What’s not to like?

Salmon Nutrition

Salmon is a highly nutritious food. Of course, it is high in protein, and the “good fats”. But did you know that a 4 oz serving of wild salmon provides a full day’s requirement of Vitamin D? It is one of the few foods that can make that claim! That same piece of fish contains over half of the necessary B12, niacin, and selenium, and is an excellent source of B6 and magnesium. Canned salmon also contains large amounts of calcium (due to the bones of the fish).

Health Benefits of Salmon

People who eat fish seem to be protected from a host of conditions. Some of this is probably due to the omega-3 fats, but there may be other benefits to fish apart from this. The science isn’t clear yet as to all the reasons why eating fish (particularly fatty fish such as salmon) seems to be so darned good for us.

Omega-3 fats seem to primarily work through reducing inflammation in our bodies. Inflammation is turning out to be at the base of many health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, some types of cancers, and arthritis. Omega-3’s also help prevent the blood clots which cause many strokes. An exciting, fairly recent development is the realization that omega-3 fats have potential to help slow cognitive problems such as Alzheimer’s Disease and age-related cognitive decline. Also, people who have sufficient levels of omega-3’s (especially as compared to omega-6 fats) seem to have less depression and suicide risk (Sublette, et al. “Omega-3 polyunsaturated essential Fatty Acid status as a predictor of future suicide risk. American Journal of Psychiatry 2006 Jun;163(6):1100-2.), as well as less aggression – in one study, giving prison inmates this type of fat (plus vitamins) reduced aggressive behavior by a third in a mere two weeks (Gesch, et al. “Influence of supplementary vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids on the antisocial behaviour of young adult prisoners.” The British Journal of Psychiatry (2002) 181: 22-28).

From the World’s Healthiest Foods: More information and research references about The Benefits of Salmon and Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Farmed vs Wild Salmon

There is somewhat of a controversy about eating wild vs farmed salmon. The issues fall into three main categories:

Contamination: Most of the salmon available for human consumption today is farmed, but several independent studies have found concentrations of PCBs and other contaminants at levels of up to 10 times higher in farmed salmon vs wild salmon. In Europe, there have even been situations where farmed fished tested at high levels of heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. These contaminants seem to be getting to the fish through the feed, which become concentrated in the oil of the salmon. Farmed salmon in the US are regulated through the USDA and FDA, which allows much higher levels of these contaminants than are allowed than with wild salmon, which is regulated by the EPA. (A common argument about this is that the EPA has reviewed the scientific literature and made new recommendations much more recently than the FDA. FDA regulations have not been updated since 1984, when people in the US were eating much less salmon and other fish.) More information about contaminants in farmed salmon

Omega-3’s: Farmed fish is fattier – much as farm animals are “fattened up”, the same is true of salmon. This means that there are higher levels of omega-3 fats. BUT there are caveats regarding this:

1. Because of the contaminants, it is often recommended that farmed salmon be cooked in ways that reduce the fat content.
2. New feeds are being developed with less fish meal in them and more plant foods. In general, the more plant-based ingredients, the lower the level of omega-3 fats in the salmon. (Note that in the ocean, salmon are carnivores: they eat no plants at all.)
3. Even today, the percentage of omega-3 fats is lower in farmed salmon, apparently because of the soybean, wheat, etc, in the meal fed to them.

Environmental Issues: Farmed fish produce a bunch of environmental problems. Read about them at the Seafood Watch site.

But there’s good news. Both wild and farmed salmon have low levels of mercury. Also, salmon is not being over-fished – especially salmon from Alaska is in good shape. More about this from Seafood Watch

Additional Note: Most canned salmon is wild.

All About Salmon:Selection, Cooking, and Recipes

Selecting Salmon to Eat

Fresh Fish: The rule with all fish is to get it as fresh as possible. It is far preferable to buy fish that has been frozen and recently thawed at the market than to buy fresh fish that has been sitting for a few days. If you are able to see the whole fish, look for clear eyes and clean red or pink gills. If you are able to smell the fish, it should smell like the sea, not “like fish”. Again, these rules are true of all fish.

The color of the salmon will partly vary by species.

Farmed salmon is usually artificially colored: it would be very pale otherwise (the safety of the most common coloring agent has been questioned: it is allowed in the US, but not in some other countries).

Canned salmon: Is almost always wild, and almost always one of the pink-fleshed varieties. Canned salmon is rich in calcium because there are small edible bones in it.

Smoked Salmon: Salmon can also be preserved by smoking it (commonly called “hot smoked), where it is dry cured with salt and spiced and then smoked. Lox and nova salmon is often called smoked, but it really is cured in brine, and not smoked at all.

Cooking Salmon

Being one of the fattier fish, salmon is sturdy, and holds up to a great variety of cooking styles, including grilling, baking, poaching, broiling, or pan-frying. The important thing is not to let it dry out. When using a dry heat method (baking, grilling), cook just until it flakes. This is about 10 minutes for each inch of thickness (on the grill, 5 minutes per side). It does not have to be opaque all the way through to be cooked – it will probably be dry if you wait that long. Linda Larsen, About’s Busy Cooks Guide, brings you lots of ways to cook salmon including using the crockpot and the microwave.

Salmon Serving Suggestions

Salmon works with a wide variety of flavors. Whereas more delicate fish becomes overwhelmed with strong flavors, salmon takes to lots of different sauces, rubs, and marinades. You can cover it with a pesto, put it in a Thai curry, or just serve it simply with a squeeze of lemon or lime. Like all fish, it goes well with citrus flavors. Though dill is probably the herb most commonly associated with salmon, almost any fresh herb you can think of tastes wonderful with it.

Since salmon fishing starts in the spring and goes through summer, think of spring vegetables such as asparagus and mushrooms to go with salmon, progressing to almost any combination of summer vegetables.

Here are some of my favorite salmon recipes:

Grilled Dilled Salmon – This is a delicious grilled salmon. Don’t be put off by the mound of dill on it – it collapses with the heat, and makes a lovely green “mat” on top of the salmon. Guests always comment on this dish.

Oven-Baked Salmon with Herbs - This technique for baking fish – low and slow - is something of a miracle. It bakes right on the platter you will serve it on, and retains its moisture beautifully.

Crustless Smoked Salmon Quiche – I use canned smoked salmon for this elegant quiche. Regular canned salmon, or smoked salmon from a package, would be fine, too.

Salmon Salad - An Alternative to Tuna - three times the Omega-3 fat, a full day's supply of vitamin D, and many more nutrients than tuna. Give it a try!

Leftover salmon can be used in lots of ways. Put in on top of a green salad. Put it in an omelet or other egg dish. Make salmon cakes or croquettes. Just try to use it up within two or three days.

Here is are more salmon recipes, and other information, from some of About.com's Guides:

Grilled Salmon Packets With Gingered Slaw from Shereen Jegtvig, our Nutrition Guide

Recipes from Diane Rattray, our Southern Cooking Guide

Recipes from Derrick Riches, our BBQ and Grilling Guide

Salmon History and Lore, plus Recipes, from Peggy Trowbridge, our Home Cooking Guide