Come dinnertime, wild salmon is an excellent choice. Many of the Pacific fisheries are well managed, and the fish itself is healthful and delicious. The problem is that there isn’t very much of it. Worldwide, our annual wild salmon harvest comes to about 2 billion pounds, which sounds like a lot until you divide it by 7 billion earthlings and come up with one serving per person per year.
What’s a salmon eater to eat?
Go back as little as 10 years, and the answer was definitely not farmed salmon. “It was the thing you weren’t supposed to buy,” says Jason Clay of the World Wildlife Fund, which established the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) to create sustainability standards for shellfish and fin fish aquaculture worldwide. When the industry was new, salmon farms were accused of polluting the oceans, spreading sea lice, fostering disease, allowing escapees and depleting the stocks of forage fish, up to seven pounds of which went into each pound of farmed Atlantic salmon. All of those accusations were true in some locales, and some were true in all.
But the salmon farmers did a funny thing. They listened. The survival of the industry depended on farmers cleaning up their act, and so that’s what they did.
By 2004, the WWF, working with the industry, had started to develop detailed standards. Nearly a decade later, in June of this year, those ASC standards were released. Farms that meet the standards will receive ASC certification, and many already have begun the process.
Meanwhile, the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program has noted industry improvements. It awarded its very first “buy” recommendation to an open-pen salmon farm in Chile named Verlasso, a joint project of salmon producer AquaChile and DuPont, the latter of which developed a genetically engineered yeast that produces a substitute for fish oil — an important part of the salmon’s diet.
Although, for now, all farmed salmon other than Verlasso’s is rated “avoid,” Seafood Watch aquaculture research manager Peter Bridson acknowledges that salmon farming has come a long way. The program is in the process of evaluating farms in other areas and will come out with revised ratings at the end of the year.
“Some of the older concerns are less of a concern,” says Bridson.
Areas the industry has focused on include:
POLLUTION
Feed, feces and other byproducts of high fish concentrations have become better controlled. “There’s an intuitive sense of feedlots. The gut reaction is that they’re a horrific source of pollution, but it seems now, from longer-term data sets, that the impacts are restricted to a small area around the pens,” says Bridson.
“That’s not to say that all the concerns have gone away,” he adds, but he notes that we know more about finding sites where farms work well and accurately predicting their impact. Our understanding of the carrying capacity of a region — the total number of farmed fish an area can support — is better, and the farms now let some areas go fallow to allow them to recover before fish are put there again.
ESCAPEES
There are a lot fewer of them, and concern about Atlantic salmon in non-native waters, particularly, has decreased. “It’s really quite clear that Altantic salmon are bad at colonizing outside their natural range,” says Bridson.
FEED CONVERSION
That industry average of as much as seven pounds of forage fish to grow one pound of farmed salmon has come down to 2.5 or 3 pounds, and the best ratios approach 1:1.
One reason for the improvement is simple: cameras detect when the feed starts falling through the pen, indicating that the salmon have finished eating, and the feed is stopped. “That one innovation saved 40 per cent of feed,” says the WWF’s Jason Clay.
The content of the feed has changed as well. Forage fish provide two essential products: fish meal, for protein, and fish oil, for omega-3 fatty acids. Twenty-five years ago, fish meal made up 50 percent of feed. Now, it’s 15 percent or even less, as other kinds of protein are being substituted. Plant sources of omega-3s are replacing some fish oil, but they don’t provide the long-chain omega-3 fats that are linked to health benefits. The industry is looking into alternatives such as algae to further cut reliance on forage fish.
Another concern about feed is added astaxanthin and canthaxanthin, carotenoids that give salmon its characteristic pink color. In the wild, fish get it naturally. On the farm, it has to be added to the feed (that’s what “color added” on the label means). Canthaxanthin, in large doses, can cause retinal damage in humans, and the FDA limits the allowable amount in salmon feed accordingly.
CONTAMINANTS
In 2004, a controversial study found higher levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins in farmed salmon than in wild salmon. That scared consumers, although the methodology of the study was criticized by health authorities, who continued to recommend eating farmed salmon. More recent research weighing the contaminant risk against health benefits from omega-3s concluded that every serving of salmon, wild or farmed, is a net positive.
PARASITES AND DISEASE
This is probably the most serious problem, particularly in areas where farmed salmon and wild salmon populations coexist. “Sea lice and viruses continue to be issues,” says Bridson, and the problem varies by region. “In Chile, there’s not much evidence [of impact]; there are no native populations. . . . There are several recent studies that show that there is still impact from sea lice in the Atlantic.”
Salmon farms will never have zero impact on the environment. Despite industry improvements, Krkosek said, he still avoids farmed salmon because be believes that wild is a more sustainable choice. And he points out that other fish, such as tilapia, can be farmed more efficiently than salmon. But the WWF’s Jason Clay also comes at the problem from an environmental perspective, and he has concluded that, in the face of a growing population that needs to be fed — and likes salmon — the answer isn’t to oppose salmon aquaculture. It’s to make it sustainable.
Everyone, on both sides, agrees there is work to be done before that goal is met. But everyone, on both sides, acknowledges that progress is being made.
Come dinnertime, that’s good news.
Taste test
Read a story about salmon, and the odds are good that, somewhere, it’ll tell you that wild salmon tastes better than farmed. But does it? We decided to find out in a blind tasting, and assembled a panel that included noted Washington seafood chefs and a seafood wholesaler.
The fish swam the gamut. We had wild king from Washington, frozen farmed from Costco, and eight in between, including Verlasso farmed salmon from Chile, which is the first open-pen farmed salmon to get a Seafood Watch “buy” recommendation. The tasters came from The Post Food section and the D.C. area seafood scene.
Scott Drewno, executive chef of the Source by Wolfgang Puck, was gracious enough to prepare the fish; this was like Usain Bolt consenting to go for a jog. Drewno steamed portioned fillets simply, with a little salt.
The judgments were definitive, and surprising. Farmed salmon beat wild salmon, hands down. The overall winner was the Costco frozen Atlantic salmon (Norwegian), added to the tasting late in the game — to provide a counterpoint to all that lovely fresh fish, we thought.
There is an important caveat about the winning salmon: it was packed in a 4 four per cent salt solution. Many of the tasters noted, and liked, the saltiness.
Salting is “a typical Japanese technique for fish” and one he uses on salmon sushi. The Costco/Kirkland label product was a fine piece of fish, and one any of us would put on the table. Yet it wasn’t strictly comparable to the others. It was also about $5 per pound cheaper than any of them.
The next three top-rated fish, with closely grouped scores, also were farmed: Trader Joe’s, from Norway; Loch Duart, from Scotland; and Verlasso.
Ancora chef-restaurateur Bob Kinkead, who estimates that he personally has garnished upward of 350,000 servings of Pepita Salmon, a signature dish at the now-closed Kinkead’s, seemed disheartened that there was so little difference among the fish. “None stood out and said, ‘Buy me,’” he said.
One thing, though, is certain. You’ll never catch any of us saying wild salmon tastes better than farmed.
Salmon Stew With Dill
Makes about 8 cups (6 to 8 servings)
Ingredients
12 ounces skinned salmon fillets (preferably Atlantic), pin bones removed; see headnote
3 cups fish stock (may substitute 2 cups clam juice plus 1 cup water or no-salt-added chicken broth)
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups heavy cream
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 2 cups; may substitute other potatoes that are waxy)
2 ounces pancetta, diced
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 medium shallots, minced (about 1/4 cup)
12 medium button mushrooms, stemmed and cut into quarters (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon sea salt, or more as needed
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked white pepper, or more as needed
1 medium leek, white part only, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Steps
Cut the salmon into 1-inch cubes; wrap them tightly and refrigerate until ready to use.
Combine the fish stock and wine in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then cook until reduced by a third, 15 to 20 minutes.
Add the heavy cream and potatoes to the saucepan; once the liquid returns to a boil, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low, so it’s barely bubbling, and cook for 5 minutes. The potatoes should be just tender.
Line a plate with a few layers of paper towels. Cook the pancetta in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until it has crisped and browned, then transfer it to the paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the same skillet, along with half of the shallots and all of the mushrooms, stirring until the butter has melted. Cook until the moisture released by the mushrooms has evaporated and they have browned. Scrape the mushroom-shallot mixture into the saucepan. Season with the salt and pepper.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the leek and the remaining shallots, stirring to coat. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables have softened, then add them to the saucepan along with the pancetta and the chilled cubes of salmon, stirring gently to incorporate.
Once the liquid starts to bubble, cook for 1 minute, then remove the saucepan from the heat. The salmon should be just cooked through. Taste, adjust the seasoning as needed and whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, making sure it has been thoroughly incorporated.
Just before serving, stir in the dill. Divide among individual bowls.
Tandoori Salmon With Cucumber Raita
4 servings
Ingredients
For the salmon and marinade
6 tablespoons sweet paprika
Generous pinch ground turmeric
1/2 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 1/2 tablespoons cumin seed
1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons tamarind paste
1 cup honey
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
Four 4-ounce skin-on salmon fillets
Beet strings, for garnish (see NOTES)
Scallions, for garnish (see NOTES)
1 teaspoon garam masala, for garnish
For the raita
3/4 cup plain whole yogurt
3/4 cup creme fraiche
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup packed chopped cilantro leaves
2 cups chopped fresh mint
2 small Japanese or Persian cucumbers, cut into small dice
1 medium red onion, cut into small dice
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
3/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Steps
For the salmon and marinade: Combine the paprika, turmeric, cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin seed, ground ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, sea salt, garlic, tamarind paste, honey and yogurt in a blender. Puree until smooth, then pour into a gallon-size zip-top bag. Add the salmon fillets, pressing out as much air as possible. Seal and massage to coat thoroughly. Marinate at a cool room temperature or in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, make the raita: Combine the yogurt, creme fraiche, honey, cilantro, mint, cucumbers, red onion, salt, vinegar, lemon juice, garam masala and cayenne pepper (to taste) in a blender. Puree until well incorporated. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl; cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. The yield is about 2 cups.
When ready to cook the fish, position an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler element; preheat the broiler.
Arrange the marinated fillets in a large, ovenproof skillet, skin sides down. Broil for about 3 minutes, using some of the marinade to baste the fish several times. Discard any remaining marinade. The salmon should be soft inside and barely opaque.
Create a small pool of raita on each plate. Place a fillet on top of each portion, carefully discarding the salmon skin as you work.
Toss together the beet strings and scallions in a medium bowl, then use the mixture to garnish each salmon fillet. Sprinkle each portion with garam masala; serve right away.
NOTES: To make beet strings, peel a small beet. Use a zester with a single slot for cutting or a small paring knife to cut matchstick-thin sticks or strips that follow around the vegetable. Place in ice water until ready to use.
To prep the scallions, cut the white and light-green parts on an extreme diagonal into 1 1/2- to 2-inch slices. Wrap in barely damp paper toweling until ready to use.