BBQ Salmon... foil or direct on the grill?

[jact55]

Pot stirring...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/farmed-vs-wild-salmon-can-you-taste-the-difference/2013/09/23/3a2650a2-1fcb-11e3-8459-657e0c72fec8_story.html

Farmed vs. wild salmon: Can you taste the difference?

Panelists assess 10 samples of farm-raised and wild-caught salmon during a blind taste test at The Washington Post. To prepare the fillets for tasting, local chef Scott Drewno lightly salted and steamed them onsite. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)
By Tamar Haspel
September 24, 2013

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 Food section and the local 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 percent salt solution. Many of the tasters noted, and liked, the saltiness. Chef-restaurateur Kaz Okochi (Kaz Sushi Bistro, Masa 14) mentioned that salt doesn’t only affect flavor but also helps make the texture of the fish firmer. 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 (“Salmon built my house,” he says), seemed disheartened that there was so little difference among the fish. “None stood out and said, ‘Buy me,’ ” he said.

When standout flavors were detected, it wasn’t in a good way. A couple of samples had off-flavors that were picked up by some tasters but not by all. And, although some samples had either the large flake and high fat content that gave them away as farmed, or the finer grain and meaty texture that identified them as wild, we could not consistently tell which was which.

One thing, though, is certain. You’ll never catch any of us saying wild salmon tastes better than farmed.

Other panelists: Bonnie S. Benwick, Tim Carman and Jane Touzalin of The Post and John Rorapaugh, director of sustainable initiatives at ProFish.

The fish, in order of panel preference (overall ratings 1-10, with 10 being the highest score):

1. Costco farmed Atlantic, frozen in 4 percent salt solution, from Norway; $6 per pound (7.6 out of 10)

2. Trader Joe’s farmed Atlantic, from Norway; $10.99 per pound (6.4)

3. Loch Duart farmed Atlantic, from Scotland; $15 to $18 per pound (6.1)

4. Verlasso farmed Atlantic, from Chile; $12 to $15 per pound (6)

5. Whole Foods farmed Atlantic salmon, from Scotland; $14.99 per pound (5.6)

6. ProFish wild king (netted), from Willapa Bay, Wash.; $16 to $20 per pound (5.3)

7. AquaChile farmed Atlantic, from Chile; $12 to $15 per pound (4.9)

8. ProFish wild coho (trolled), from Alaska; $16 to $20 per pound. (4.4)

9. ProFish wild king (trolled), from Willapa Bay; $16 to $20 per pound (4)

10. Costco wild coho, from Alaska; $10.99 per pound (3.9)

I wonder what percentage of farm vs wild these panelist have eaten in the past amd what their pallet is used to. Expectations compared to past experiences could have played a role here

 

[Josh]

Pot stirring...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/life...2650a2-1fcb-11e3-8459-657e0c72fec8_story.html
Farmed vs. wild salmon: Can you taste the difference?

As I say, my main issue with farmed salmon is the impact that the sea net pen method has.

I do believe that wild salmon tastes better, but there are also a lot of variables that could make it hard to compare directly in an article like this. Not the least of which is "how much salmon have these panelists eaten in the past?"

Panelists assess 10 samples of farm-raised and wild-caught salmon during a blind taste test at The Washington Post.

So, at the very least the wild salmon was shipped across the country, sometimes across the globe, and reviewed by a bunch of people who live nowhere near wild salmon.

John Rorapaugh, director of sustainable initiatives at ProFish.

...and a guy who sells farmed salmon.

To prepare the fillets for tasting, local chef Scott Drewno lightly salted and steamed them onsite.

And to prepare them, they were STEAMED?

Yeah, I dunno bout all that.

 

[Pink Nighty]

As I say, my main issue with farmed salmon is the impact that the sea net pen method has.

I do believe that wild salmon tastes better, but there are also a lot of variables that could make it hard to compare directly in an article like this. Not the least of which is "how much salmon have these panelists eaten in the past?"


So, at the very least the wild salmon was shipped across the country, sometimes across the globe, and reviewed by a bunch of people who live nowhere near wild salmon.


...and a guy who sells farmed salmon.


And to prepare them, they were STEAMED?

Yeah, I dunno bout all that.

Legit the worst part of that story was that all those fish died in order to be prepared like that. They should be ashamed of themselves.

My opinion is that farmed salmon is a highly consistent, fatty option that like most mass-produced foods has a homogeneity of flavors, and R&D backed diets to get them the "right " flavor and color.

Wild fish exist in a much broader spectrum of quality and in the upper tails of that curve exists a perfection the lab has yet to master. Willapa bay caught chinook likely dont fit into that category.

 

[Evan B]

Pot stirring...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/farmed-vs-wild-salmon-can-you-taste-the-difference/2013/09/23/3a2650a2-1fcb-11e3-8459-657e0c72fec8_story.html

Farmed vs. wild salmon: Can you taste the difference?

Panelists assess 10 samples of farm-raised and wild-caught salmon during a blind taste test at The Washington Post. To prepare the fillets for tasting, local chef Scott Drewno lightly salted and steamed them onsite. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)
By Tamar Haspel
September 24, 2013

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 Food section and the local 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 percent salt solution. Many of the tasters noted, and liked, the saltiness. Chef-restaurateur Kaz Okochi (Kaz Sushi Bistro, Masa 14) mentioned that salt doesn’t only affect flavor but also helps make the texture of the fish firmer. 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 (“Salmon built my house,” he says), seemed disheartened that there was so little difference among the fish. “None stood out and said, ‘Buy me,’ ” he said.

When standout flavors were detected, it wasn’t in a good way. A couple of samples had off-flavors that were picked up by some tasters but not by all. And, although some samples had either the large flake and high fat content that gave them away as farmed, or the finer grain and meaty texture that identified them as wild, we could not consistently tell which was which.

One thing, though, is certain. You’ll never catch any of us saying wild salmon tastes better than farmed.

Other panelists: Bonnie S. Benwick, Tim Carman and Jane Touzalin of The Post and John Rorapaugh, director of sustainable initiatives at ProFish.

The fish, in order of panel preference (overall ratings 1-10, with 10 being the highest score):

1. Costco farmed Atlantic, frozen in 4 percent salt solution, from Norway; $6 per pound (7.6 out of 10)

2. Trader Joe’s farmed Atlantic, from Norway; $10.99 per pound (6.4)

3. Loch Duart farmed Atlantic, from Scotland; $15 to $18 per pound (6.1)

4. Verlasso farmed Atlantic, from Chile; $12 to $15 per pound (6)

5. Whole Foods farmed Atlantic salmon, from Scotland; $14.99 per pound (5.6)

6. ProFish wild king (netted), from Willapa Bay, Wash.; $16 to $20 per pound (5.3)

7. AquaChile farmed Atlantic, from Chile; $12 to $15 per pound (4.9)

8. ProFish wild coho (trolled), from Alaska; $16 to $20 per pound. (4.4)

9. ProFish wild king (trolled), from Willapa Bay; $16 to $20 per pound (4)

10. Costco wild coho, from Alaska; $10.99 per pound (3.9)

Doesn't totally surprise me. I've never had store bought salmon that was all that great. It's more of an issue with how the fish is treated when caught and put through the cold chain custody.

Not only can I tell the difference between farmed and salmon I catch, I can tell a huge difference just between runs of the same species of salmon. I'm sure many of us here can say the same.

 

[SilverFly]

Columbia fish kind of ruin you. They're on a whole other level from the other PNW stocks. Especially the springers.

Edit: not so much the tules, though.

Ah, nothing like the robust, almost piney, scent of tules. I can tell when they're in the river just walking down the bank.

 

[G_Smolt]

Not only can I tell the difference between farmed and salmon I catch, I can tell a huge difference just between runs of the same species of salmon. I'm sure many of us here can say the same.

Can you tell the difference between tree-farmed versus wild cedar, tho? OP-grown versus Cascades? What about BC vs US?

I realize I *may* just have outed myself as one of those folks who think cooking perfectly good seafood on shingles is ridiculous...

 

[Mossback]

Sand Panko Humpy...
Some can tell the difference between the different sands and which beach it came from.
I myself can taste the difference between fly and plug caught salmon.

 

[Evan B]

Can you tell the difference between tree-farmed versus wild cedar, tho? OP-grown versus Cascades? What about BC vs US?

I realize I *may* just have outed myself as one of those folks who think cooking perfectly good seafood on shingles is ridiculous...

I did the cedar plank thing ONCE. Wasn't for me.

Charcoal, fire, fish, salt. That's it for me.

 

[RCF]

I just enjoyed some Copper River salmon grilled on the BBQ tonight the way my family and I like it.

We never argue about it because it tastes great and our mouths are full going towards a happy and full tummy

 

[HauntedByWaters]

I’m surprised how opinionated this thread is when I believe salmon is so simple to cook and do right. I prefer charcoal with alder as some have mentioned but usually do it on the propane grill to speed things up the way my life is I don’t have time for much else. Everyone loves it. It’s like smoking salmon and takes some experience to get right. I’d say the only must additive is salt. And over cooking is really the only thing to avoid.

People often tell me my fish is some of the best even when I gift it to them frozen and vacuum bagged and they cook it. This has led me to believe that a big part of salmon quality is in the selection and processing of the meat. I only keep fish that look right to me, I bleed them immediately before I bonk them on a string in the river. I gut them after bleed out and put them clean into a contractor bag at the river. I fillet them after they soften up not while hard and vacuum bag them. I do think a lot of commercial fish is a little beat up or smashed et cetera.

Overall, don’t over think it. The quality of the fish comes first and the cooking is something that comes with experience. Just pay attention and learn from each go around to get better. I harvest 40-50 salmon a year so I’ve tried it all, seasonings, wood, whatever and I think basic is fantastic. Same with crab, I just boil it and eat it straight from the shell and enjoy it in the moment until it is gone. I don’t complicate good seafood, it should be excellent all by itself.

 

[Jerry Daschofsky]

Never thought I'd say this on something culinary related, but I strongly disagree with Jerry's post here.

Is this going to get me kicked off my own forum?

What's funny, those were treats what I described. I grew up extremely poor so rarely ever ate salmon or steelhead in fillets or steaks. We caught as many as legally allowed and canned them in Ball jars to store all year. Then had deer and elk in the freezer. So pretty much ate all our salmon and steelhead as salmon patties or salmon "fish", basically salmon made up like tuna fish for sandwiches. So way I described was way my Dad would cook it when we would do fillets or steaks. It's there better ways to do it? Of course. But definitely hits a spot for myself and family. Since my kids experienced Grandpa making it for them.

 

[Paige]

What's funny, those were treats what I described. I grew up extremely poor so rarely ever ate salmon or steelhead in fillets or steaks. We caught as many as legally allowed and canned them in Ball jars to store all year. Then had deer and elk in the freezer. So pretty much ate all our salmon and steelhead as salmon patties or salmon "fish", basically salmon made up like tuna fish for sandwiches. So way I described was way my Dad would cook it when we would do fillets or steaks. It's there better ways to do it? Of course. But definitely hits a spot for myself and family. Since my kids experienced Grandpa making it for them.

Salmon patties where a staple in our house growing up, I absolutely hated salmon patties and I think I stopped eating salmon for about 10yrs due to that crap

Grilled or smoked is the only way I will eat it.

 

[Wanative]

Salmon filet, skin on. Take tweezers to pull out any bones. Oil flesh side. Sprinkle on liberally s&p, garlic powder, Ital. seasoning. Make sure grill is hot. This helps to keep it from sticking. Take a rag rolled tight and add oil so it's lightly wet. Scrub grill with rag quickly. Don't catch on fire! Put on salmon 3 minutes flesh down to get grill marks. Flip to skin side 4 or 5 minutes. Pull and put on a square of butter to melt all over it. Yumm...

What he said.
I like to ad a thin smear of mayo after I flip it. Try it you'll like it.

 

[Evan B]

What's funny, those were treats what I described. I grew up extremely poor so rarely ever ate salmon or steelhead in fillets or steaks. We caught as many as legally allowed and canned them in Ball jars to store all year. Then had deer and elk in the freezer. So pretty much ate all our salmon and steelhead as salmon patties or salmon "fish", basically salmon made up like tuna fish for sandwiches. So way I described was way my Dad would cook it when we would do fillets or steaks. It's there better ways to do it? Of course. But definitely hits a spot for myself and family. Since my kids experienced Grandpa making it for them.

And I guarantee in a taste test more people would pick yours than mine

 

[Eastside]

I used to fish on Vancouver Island out of Bamfield with a friend and his family. They did the bbq sauce and onion cook with fresh silvers and it was quite good. I’ve done it a few times at home but prefer light olive oil and seasoning directly on the grill. This has been a great thread!

 

[brownheron]

Salmon patties where a staple in our house growing up, I absolutely hated salmon patties and I think I stopped eating salmon for about 10yrs due to that crap

Grilled or smoked is the only way I will eat it.

Too funny.

Growing up poor in the south, salmon patties made from canned pink salmon (I guess) were a 'special occasion' dinner while my grandmother's friggin' amazing fried chicken or pork chops were on the table pretty much every day.

I still love salmon patties smothered in cocktail sauce (overshare probably) but I make them out of stuff we caught that doesn't look good enough to grill.

 

[Brute]

Never have. Don't forget collars, although they usually go in the smoker.

I like to soak the collars in teriyaki and throw them on the grill...

 

[Brute]

Too funny.

Growing up poor in the south, salmon patties made from canned pink salmon (I guess) were a 'special occasion' dinner while my grandmother's friggin' amazing fried chicken or pork chops were on the table pretty much every day.

I still love salmon patties smothered in cocktail sauce (overshare probably) but I make them out of stuff we caught that doesn't look good enough to grill.

My wife grew up in the south before moving to the Canal Zone in Panama...her favorite part was the occasional section of backbone...

 

[BigJohnJohn]

Pan sear skin side down until crisp, flip the fish, kill the heat (or keep on as appropriate for your cut/tastes), add compound butter of your choice and baste until done.

I like dill, shallots, lemon, caper and cayenne in my compound butter, but orange and chunky paprika deserve some love

This is the way. I like the idea of doing it on grill and still do occasionally but nothing beats pan seared like this. I finish mine in the oven after getting the skin crisp and flipping.

 

[Evan B]

This is the way. I like the idea of doing it on grill and still do occasionally but nothing beats pan seared like this. I finish mine in the oven after getting the skin crisp and flipping.

Charcoal grill > Pan seared > Gas grill

BTW I have a gas grill I don't use if anyone wants it.