King Versus Sockeye Salmon - How to Choose

Salmon is one of my favorite proteins. When a recent trip to the grocery store yielded more options than I was expecting, I had to do a taste test.

If you remember my salmon recipe from earlier this year, you know one option you should never choose. Always purchase wild-caught salmon, please. If fish is brought to adulthood or even swims through a farm, don’t eat it.

In addition to the plain weirdness of the idea of fish raised anywhere but in the open water, many farms use jam-packed pens where the slimy beings are easily infected with lice, often receive unnecessary and excessive antibiotics and spread disease to wild fish. Alaska has banned salmon farms in part for this reason. Bottom line, fish born and bred in their natural habitat are healthier, more delicious and nutritious for us land folk. As a general rule, choose wild caught.

Now that we have that out of the way, we can move on to the interesting stuff. The other day, I waltzed into my local supermarket (no name recognition by design) and into the seafood section to select a pound of salmon for my lunch and a few subsequent meals. I’m no salmon rookie, but I’m not a connoisseur either. When I had to make a selection between the “King” and “Sockeye” varieties, I didn’t want to do it based on price alone (the King was nearly twice as costly). I figured a conversation with the fishmonger (I use this term loosely) was in order. He turned out to be quite knowledgeable and explained some of the differences.

He told me that the salmon season generally opens with King and that these bad boys are huge (as the name implies).

“These guys run between 11-18 pounds, typically,” he said.

He mentioned when cooked well, King salmon have a buttery flavor and texture. The fishmonger then closed with a word of advice. “It’s a short and limited season so pick up your King when you can.”

Okay, I grabbed a half pound and felt confident in my selection. On to the Sockeye.

“The Sockeye is more abundant and we scoop most of this type of salmon from Alaskan waters where they are managed in a sustainable fashion.”

He doesn’t know me or my preferences, but he just nailed the sales pitch. He continued.

“Most people prefer the taste of King, but I like Sockeye for it’s smoky, flavorful flesh.”

I absolutely noticed the color difference and could almost see the smoke he spoke of. It was brighter and reddish-orangeish versus the subdued pink of the King.

“The Sockeye is more plentiful.”

After some quick research, I found that the yearly harvest on the Copper River in Alaska alone is over 1 million.

Got it. A half pound of the SES and I was on my way. Thanks, fish guy.

“This couldn’t be simpler,” I thought. I’ll just go home, season them in the exact same fashion (sea salt, freshly ground pepper, lemon and paprika) and throw them on the grill, side by side. I did precisely that and performed a quick eyeball and texture test to see if they needed more cooking.

To check the doneness, I gently press the filets with a wooden spoon. I’m looking for just a little resistance. If I have to press hard, it means I’ve gone too far. Not enough resistance and another minute or two on the grill is needed.

My SES was perfectly grilled. The King was a little thicker and naturally needed a bit more time on the heat.

After some resting time and the confidence that both were cooked well, I dove in.

The SES had a dense, steak like texture yet flaked perfectly. I could taste the rich smoky flavor that fish guy mentioned. The King was pure butter. It was much softer and creamier, but without the intense pop of the SES.

I loved them both, but if I had to choose, I’d go with the SES. I’ll always err on the side of richness over subtlety. You can’t go wrong with either, though.

Which side are you on? Straight smoke or pretty in pink?

Kap