Before I turned 30, you couldn’t pay me to eat salmon. I knew the nutrition stats for salmon were great but still didn’t want anything to do with it. Then one day, as if out of the blue, I started learning to love salmon.
I suppose it started with the night I met Dr. Andrew Weil at True Food Kitchen. One of the dishes served was grilled salmon over the harvest chopped salad, and I remember thinking how the salmon was cooked to perfection and loaded with flavor, but wasn’t sure if it was just a fluke.
I decided to put my new-found appreciation for salmon to the test when I ordered a blackened salmon salad at La Sirena Grill. Different preparation, but still quite delicious.
But I have to admit the dish that really taught me to love salmon was grilled salmon at Watermarc. For whatever reason the preparation is phenomenal. I’m usually the type of person who likes to order something different at restaurants, but every time I’m at Watermarc I go straight for the salmon.
While I’ve been learning to love salmon in cooked forms, I still can’t get on board with salmon sashimi and smoked salmon. So that poses the question: how can I learn to love salmon in all it’s forms? Any and all advice is most welcome.
Any other salmon lovers out there? Where’s the best place to get a good piece of (sustainable) salmon?
Oh man, raw salmon on rice (sushi) is amazing! So buttery and delicious. Sushi Imari’s is amazing! Smoked salmon is a little hit or miss for me. My brother-in-law’s dad goes fishing in Alaska every year and smokes his own salmon. That is the best smoked salmon I’ve had in my life. It’s awesome on crackers with cream cheese.
My only qualm with salmon at restaurants is that it’s generally a little overcooked. I had some on Friday at Fukada (japanese place in irvine), the skin was delicious and crispy but the salmon was a little overcooked. So womp, but still tasty!
Ok next time I go to Sushi Imari I’m going to try the raw salmon and see how I like it. How do I get in on this smoked salmon business haha.
I LOVE salmon! I’m with you on smoked salmon, though. And restaurant salmon IS hit or miss, most of the time. Chef has demonstrated cooking salmon before, but I’ve still yet to try making it myself! One of these days…
I need to try and cook it at home too! 2015 goal perhaps?
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