Wild Alaskan Salmon on sale at Sunset Foods

Yesterday I bought some delicious wild Alaskan salmon at Sunset Foods Libertyville store. IIRC it was $7.99/lb, which was 1/2 price. I don't remember how long the sale was for, so you may want to call first.

Not quite as rich and flavorful as the Copper River, but very good fish for $7.99.

Hi,

Costco was selling whole headless salmon for $2.99 on Saturday. In years past, I have found those wild Alaska salmon for as cheap as $0.99 per pound at Dominick's. I have smoked them and served them with Munich Gruner Sauce, which is a heavily herbed sauce. I once had guests from Hamburg, where I served this menu, they had heard of Gruner sauce but never had it before ... only in America!

We just bought a king salmon fillet from Sunset this week and it was delicious. Also, we loved the service at Sunset. We seared the salmon with a citrus sauce - yum. Not sure if everyone would concur but I'd have to say that the texture, butteriness and taste of the wild salmon far exceeds that of the farm-raised. We plan to stock up the freezer with both the sockeye and the king.

Mr. T. wrote:Not sure if everyone would concur but I'd have to say that the texture, butteriness and taste of the wild salmon far exceeds that of the farm-raised. We plan to stock up the freezer with both the sockeye and the king.

I do not entirely agree. At one point Sysco was carrying a line of farm-raised Altantic salmon, raised in cold Chilean waters (yeah, I know, Chile is on the Pacific), that was as fine as any wild I have ever tasted. These fillets were fash-frozen within hours of being harvested and in addition to a rich flavor, also tasted extremely fresh. The last box I ordered, for some reason, was inferior, so I'm not sure what is going on. But not all farmed salmon are equal.

I went to Dirk's today to get some fish to throw on the grill for dinner. The wild Copper River salmon they had in the display case looked so rich and beautifully red, I wanted to take to breaking the glass with my paw and have a huge bite Bear Style! The farm raised stuff looked pale and yellow by comparison.

Even my 8 year old, commented on the beautiful coral color of the wild salmon. I wish I had Gary or Mike's digital camera.

This 'non-AOC' salmon may have lacked a little intensity over Copper River, but looks (as well as tastes) more inviting than the farm raised.

One comment on wine pairing with these wild salmon. If you want to drink Pinot Noir, use a bigger, bolder style with these ultra-rich salmon. I've had more delicate, feminine styled Pinot Noirs overwhelmed by them. The wild fish have a higher fat content. Speaking in generalities, maybe something from Sonoma's Russian River Valley. I would personally draw the line on some of the new over-the-top Pinot Noirs from the Central Coast which are almost Pinot Syrah. Without actually trying this pairing, I'm sure they would overwhelm even these salmon. While I'm not a fan of big California Chardonnays, they would not be a bad choice.

Seen in British Columbia: "A farm raised salmon dyed for you."

I have had great luck with the frozen wild coho salmon fillets from Whole Foods. I am normally not at all a fan of frozen fish, but these have been amazing. We have been grilling them with a bit of olive oil and at times Penzey's northwoods spices. Very fresh and tasty.
LO

Hi,

IN the food advertisements, I see Jewel has Wild Alaskan Salmon for $0.99 per pound. This is the week to buy and freeze.

I suspect that much of the cheap wild salmon is either pink or chum. These two species are much cheaper than the better kinds for good reason. They have much less flavor and may have inferior texture. Saltwater fishermen sometimes follow a practice called chumming. They cut up fish and scatter the pieces behind the boat to attract predatory fish. Chum salmon were viewed as being useful only for chum. Pink salmon that has been hot smoked on the grill can be OK but not outstanding.

Fish that has been through the long supply chain for Jewel is a dubious prospect for freezing IMO. Even if it were, few of us have the equipment for flash freezing.

FWIW we have found the frozen sockeye at Trader Joe's to be decent for poaching.