Fishing for a new favorite fish

[Jenise]

Never frozen; it couldn't be fresher. We get ours at Two Cousin's Fish Market in Newton Plaza in Latham, New York. I'll ask where it comes from, and you could call them. I hope the bloke doesn't tell me Scotland.

I think he will. It's farm raised, but the waters are colder and more pristeen than the Atlantic.

For Carrie: used to sometimes buy Scottish salmon at Bristol Farms in California.

I don't think that they could legally call it Scottish salmon if it wasn't from Scotland, as Scottish salmon is just Atlantic salmon from a particular source. I would also be highly skeptical of claims that the fish was never frozen as it's fairly universal practice in most salmon fisheries now to flash freeze the fish in the hold of the ship.

Mark, all commercial Scottish salmon is farmed, not wild. So some is "never frozen" because they harvest and ship out same day. Pretty sure you are correct that with the exception of some smaller dayboats all wild salmon is flash frozen (a good idea for parasite prevention as well). I think something over 99% of Atlantic salmon is farmed.

So I'd never had walleye. We had a delay at Minneapolis airport last month, I thought "hey even in airport I can eat local", the Itasca Grill featured walleye. What came out was medium-brown, so hard you could have driven a nail in. I still don't know what walleye tastes like.

Okay, so we are in Massachusetts right now, near a Whole Foods and I was in the mood for salmon. My choices were wild sockeye (blech) and farm raised Norwegian. The guy behind the meat counter could tell I was having a dilemma. I told him I wanted wild but can't stand Sockeye. He said the Norwegian was wonderful and that they can hardly keep it in the store. I said, yeah, but the pollutants, blah blah blah. He said Whole Foods would not carry salmon if it was unsafe to eat and that the fish farming industry in Norway holds itself to a much higher standard. I didn't need too much persuading because this fish looked like the fish of my dreams. Plump flesh interlaced with significant white streaks. PCBs be damned, I got the fish. It was incredible. Like eating butter.
In the afterglow, I did a little research to find out what kind of damage I did. Well, it seems there is as much contradictory information out there as there is regarding the North American farms.
I think I will continue to enjoy Atlantic salmon (if I can't get King) but just limit my intake as I do for other delicious, unhealthy choices like baby back ribs and juicy burgers.
Anyone have any definitive information on Farmed Norwegian Salmon?

Just stay away from the Eastern Canadian and American versions.

[Jenise]

Anyone have any definitive information on Farmed Norwegian Salmon?

Not I; but long time ago before I ever associated the word 'farm' with fish, Norwegian salmon was the fish we liked best. That is, it sure does taste good.

Farmed Norwegian is the only non-frozen salmon available in Israel (at Tiv Taam stores) as far as I know, and we enjoy it very much - as sashimi, seviche, or lightly pan seared in different ways. Relatives from California were here recently and were astonished by the quality and taste of the salmon...

Just stay away from the Eastern Canadian and American versions.

Oh good, I was hoping that would be the answer, Carl!

Btw, we'll be up your way again the week of August 13. Any must do restaurants since last time? We have plans to go back to Canoe for sure.

Btw, we'll be up your way again the week of August 13. Any must do restaurants since last time? We have plans to go back to Canoe for sure.

Will have to give that some thought, we haven't been up that way this year. We have to take away our recommendation for Jake's Seafood as they changed management and went down hill.

We get Orkney Island salmon here at the best fish purveyor in town. It has a nice fat content and makes great lox.

My fave is California golden trout. It's a bit oilier than other trout and cooks up great in foil over a campfire--about the only way and maybe the best way to enjoy fresh-caught fish!