Is store-bought “wild caught” (hey that rhymes) salmon, actually, well, caught in the wild? The answer may surprise you. I, like many others, are shocked by the sticker price of “wild caught” salmon compared to “farmed” salmon. But after learning the incredibly poor farming techniques used, conditions, and the overwhelmingly upsetting coloring practices that go into farmed salmon, I would sometimes purchase the wild caught salmon instead. It's treated like a special occasion meal for my family, like a filet, ribeye, or scallops would be treated. But after coming across a New York Times article about farmed salmon, I learned that 43% of “wild caught” stuff is actually farmed.
I dug in a little deeper and found that the majority of salmon labeled as “wild caught” is either farmed, mislabeled, or misleading. This happens more often in restaurants than in stores, but I was still shocked.
How could the grocery store lie to me about the source of my food? (I say that in the most sarcastic tone on the planet.) Well, that wasn’t going to fly with me. So, what did I do? What any normal American would do: I flew to Alaska to catch my own fish and bring it home. I’m not kidding.
I went up to Cold Bay, Alaska, with the incredible crew at Browning to ptarmigan hunt on the inaugural launch of their over and under Citori 825 shotgun, but as part of the Four Flyway Outfitter’s Cast and Blast package, we got to also wet a line and catch some fish. And catch fish we did!
The Beautiful Soho Salmon of Alaska
Working the creeks and rivers flowing in from the Bering Sea, wish fished for the beautiful and plentiful silver coho salmon, often times catching dolly varden trout, chum, and pink salmon along the way. But we were after the silvers. We were almost always able to reach out daily limit of five fishing with salmon roe on a spincasters or stripping streamers on a fly. When the water was right, it was electric.
I had been to Alaska before to fish for salmon, but never like this. It was truly a trip of a lifetime and I’m incredibly thankful for the wonderful guides and crew at Four Flyways that got each of us setup with 50 pounds, yes you heard that right, of vacuum sealed salmon filets that we could take home. My family has been eating well and I’m grateful that I get to continue to practice our way of eating what God’s great bounty provides.
This tasty Salmon bowl was created as a way to utilize multiple vegetables and sides in one big bowl that’s also easy to prepare, and most importantly, easy to clean up. You can substitute any of the sides in here to your preference; have fun and play with different variations. While I chose to air fry my salmon for this recipe, you can also grill, bake, or pan sear it to your liking.
P.S. This is not meant to guilt or shame anyone for buying farmed salmon. Of course, we all buy what is within our means and what’s best for our families.
Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon Rice Bowl Recipe
Serves 2
Salmon Rice Bowl Ingredients:
- 1 pound of wild caught salmon, cut into squares
- 1 cup of cooked white rice
- 1/2 cup of sliced cucumbers
- 1/2 of an avocado, sliced thin
- 1/2 cup of carrots, shredded
- 1/4 cup of scallions, sliced thin
- 1/4 cup of edamame
- Sriracha Mayonnaise (equal parts mayo and sriracha. I put in a few drops of sesame oil into mine)
- Your favorite seasoning for salmon
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
Preparation:
- Begin by removing the skin from your fish filets. Cut the salmon meat into 1/2 inch cubes and season generously with your seasoning of choice. I like Fire and Smoke Society’s Lucky Lucky Asian blend. It’s great on salmon and especially great in this dish.
- Cook the fish to your liking; I chose to use an air fryer. I removed the salmon with a few minutes left and seasoned with soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil and retuned it to air the fryer to crisp up for a few more minutes.
- Cook rice according to the package or via your favorite method of cooking rice
- Assemble your bowl. First, place rice in the bottom. Then, add sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots, edamame, avocado, scallion, and, finally, the cooked salmon. Drizzle on Sriracha mayo and garnish with scallions, sesame seeds, and a bit more seasoning.
Enjoy!
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