
At the Pike Place Market in Seattle, it’s the glistening, freshly caught salmon piled high that you’ll notice first. The fishmongers are jolly, and sales are brisk.
You might think all was well in the world of wild salmon, but you’d be wrong. It’s actually a wonder that wild salmon is even a possibility in the 21st century, considering the rampant overfishing that made Atlantic salmon, both here and in Europe, nearly extinct.

The only Atlantic salmon for sale now is farmed (and it is called “Atlantic” even if the fish is farmed in Norway or Chile). But inexpensive farmed salmon is a bland, sorry alternative to wild. Artificial dyes and pesticides are often used, and the farms pose environmental hazards.
Pacific wild salmon has survived despite great odds, due mostly to careful, often extreme management. Concerted efforts by conservationists have averted its total demise.
Fortunately, there is hope for the wild salmon that inhabit Bristol Bay, a relatively pristine fishery off Alaska that so far has remained unharmed and is well managed, both by the federal government and by the indigenous people who depend on salmon for physical and spiritual nourishment.
When wild Pacific salmon season opens in late spring along the West Coast, from Alaska all the way down to San Diego, there is reason to celebrate. The year’s first wild salmon, whether king (also called chinook) or sockeye, has incredibly brilliant red flesh; an exquisite, sweet, mild flavor, and a tender velvetlike texture.

I bought a beautiful piece of king salmon the other day. It wasn’t cheap at $40 a pound, but it was enough to make four diners extremely happy, and there were no complaints about the four-ounce portion — only moans of pleasure. I let the thin slices cook gently in butter, making sure they were just done, which took no more than four minutes.
A spoonful of lightly whipped cream, seasoned in a savory way with salt, pepper, lemon zest and a dab of mustard, was the sauce. (It’s a great effortless topping to use for other kinds of delicate fish, too, or for garnishing puréed vegetable soups.)
We all agreed, for a luxury like wild king salmon, it’s well worth paying a pretty penny and keeping the preparation perfectly simple.
Recipes: Wild King Salmon With Savory Whipped Cream | More Salmon Dishes
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