Atlantic Salmon
Salmo salar · wild salmon (North Atlantic) · Pacific salmon (different species)
Atlantic salmon is the most widely eaten fish in Britain, and with good reason: its high fat content makes it forgiving to cook, its rich orange-pink flesh is visually striking, and its flavour is robust enough to stand alone or pair with bold sauces. The orange colour comes from astaxanthin, a carotenoid pigment from the krill wild salmon eat; in farmed salmon it is added to the feed. Wild Atlantic salmon is now rare; most of what is sold is farmed from Norway, Scotland or Chile.
Rich, buttery and oceanic with a characteristic salmon sweetness. The flavour is more assertive than white fish and can stand up to strong accompaniments: miso, soy, dill, horseradish, caper, smoked cream.
Fatty and yielding with a loose flake that becomes silky when slightly underdone. When overcooked, white albumin (protein) exudes from the flesh and the texture becomes dry and chalky. The skin, when pan-crisped, adds a contrasting crunch.
Refrigerate loosely wrapped for up to 2 days. The smell of fresh salmon should be clean and oceanic, never fishy or ammonia-like. Freeze well-wrapped for up to 2 months.
Remove pin bones with tweezers before cooking. The flesh can be cooked skin-on or skinless. For pan-frying: score the skin to prevent curling. For baking: 180°C for 12–15 minutes depending on thickness. Salmon is best served at medium — translucent in the centre — rather than fully cooked through.