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Q).
Hi John,
My wife and I love the taste of wild salmon so much that over the years
it has become a weekly staple in our diet. We could buy it at most of
the local supermarkets for $3.99 a pound. We don't buy farmed salmon
because it does not have as much fat and they have to add pink dye to
make it look natural. Earlier this year, an article in the Monterey
Herald confirmed our suspicions when it stated that farmed fish were
unhealthy to eat because the farmers were feeding them coastal junk fish
that were loaded with trace chemicals. It almost seemed that as soon as
this article was published the supply of wild salmon dried up! Now
everyone is selling farmed salmon |
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and wild
salmon is almost impossible to find or to afford. What's the
real story here?
Ross A. Swanson
Project Manager
CHOMP Pavilions Project
Monterey, CA
A). Folks, my friend Ross has raised some very interesting questions.
Now, anyone who knows me, knows that I never shy away from controversy.
Not just for the sake of being controversial, but mainly because I have
come to observe that once the majority of people believe something, in
agreement with the media, they are probably wrong in some way. This
farmed vs. wild salmon issue is a prime example. I am very curious and
work to gather all of the facts to |
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make up my
mind. What I have concluded will make some people mad, but
here it is: farmed salmon is superior for cooking and eating and the
supposed environmental threats are overblown. Let's address two of the
most popular myths. 1) Farmed salmon are fed "dye" to make them pink. In
the wild, salmon get their pink color by consuming carotenoids, natural
substances found in the bodies of the small
shellfish eaten by the salmon. This is added to the feed in the salmon
aquafarms. The reason is obvious to anyone who eats ham. Would you eat a
gray ham? That's the "natural" color. No one seems to make much of a
fuss over the coloring of ham. The media insists on defining carotenoids
as "dyes". |
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2) Farmed salmon, according to Ross
and others, are fed "junk fish". Just what is junk fish? Mostly, they
are things like mackerel, anchovies and herring. Although these fish are
not nearly as popular as they once were in our culture, to me they are
anything but junk. In fact this is a high
quality source of protein, destined mostly these days to become
fertilizer - how sad. Ross is also wrong about the fat content. The
farmed has more fat because the fish are less active - the same as it
works for humans. As far as the cooking and eating, I did the tests
myself. I prepared wild salmon (frozen - as it is almost always found)
and fresh farmed salmon from British Columbia
and served it to my
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executive chef and general manager. The wild
salmon were troll-caught flash-frozen Alaskan King ($8.50 per pound) and
Silver ($6.50). The farmed was top quality Sterling Brand ($4.10). All
three filets were lightly salted, seared in olive and finished in the
oven. We were very impressed with the results. The Silver and King were
definitely drier but with very good flavor, while the
farmed was flavorful, moist and almost impossible to dry out.
This made me wonder - will people actually prefer frozen wild salmon to
fresh farmed salmon just because they are poorly informed?
As I said, I expect some will be angered by my opinions, but
these are informed opinions from one chef who took the time to
investigate. Most |
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people agree that fresh is always better, no
matter what kind of food you're talking about - meat, fruit, veggies,
fish or fowl and when Monterey's salmon is in season, I wouldn't use
anything else. In the mean time, check out the facts, make up your own
mind and, if you feel better paying 2 to 3 times more for frozen wild
salmon - go for it. To order wild salmon, I recommend
www.vitalchoice.com (800 608-4825).
If you want to learn more about modern
salmon farming - check out
www.farmfreshsalmon.org. The Canadian government is
leading the way in safely regulating the rapidly expanding industry of
raising of salmon. |
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Q). Hi John,
I am writing on behalf of a friend, Ollie Collins of Carmel Valley who
asked me to help get her more information regarding one of your recipes.
Ollie had enjoyed preparing your recipes in the past and was struck by
your column regarding 'the best pasta sauce that you've tasted in a long
time'! She was stumped when you listed two ingredients that she has
never heard of and doesn't know where to find them; Tasso (Cajun smoked
pork) - is it sausage or a
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brand? - and Sensational Seasoning. Can
you please advise where on the Monterey Peninsula these can be found?
Thanks for your help and thanks for the
wonderful cooking tips.
Laura Tocchet
Via e-mail
A). Tasso is lean strips of
boneless pork marinated in a special seasoning and then smoked to create
a true Cajun delicacy. I have recently rediscovered this |
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fantastically
flavorful ingredient and it is available
locally from Sierra Meat Company (831) 883-3555 - ask for Big Bob or
Monte Vista Market (831) 373-3737 - ask for Jonathan. As for Sensational
Seasoning, this is my invention. For years, I have used it for
everything from a fish blackening spice to crusting up a steak or
sprinkling on a Bloody Mary. You can purchase it at any of my
restaurants, Monte Vista Market, Bruno's Market, Star Market, The Garlic
Shoppe or at my office.
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