- Be sure the wild salmon you buy is labeled “fresh” rather than “fresh from frozen”. The second best option would be frozen. Learn more about how to buy the best fish HERE.
- Do not overcook! Wild salmon can get very dry if it is overcooked.
Choosing the Best Wild Salmon for Your Baked Salmon Recipe
There are actually seven species of wild salmon, but only five are typically available in North America (Pink, Chinock, Sockeye, Coho and Keta). There are subtle differences in the texture, color and flavor of each species, but they can all be used for the baked salmon recipe below. However, these are my three favorite types of wild salmon below….- Chinook (in season May to June) Also called King, this is the largest Pacific salmon species (average adult weight is 20 lb., but it can go up to 50 lb.). It’s the earliest to market and the most sought after, prized for its high fat content and melt-in- your-mouth flesh that ranges in color from ivory to deep orange-red. This is definitely my favorite wild salmon species.
- Coho (in season August to September) Also called “silver salmon” for its bright, silvery skin, coho’s deep orange flesh is firm and meaty, with a more delicate flavor than king salmon. Cohos are the second largest species, with an average weight of 12 lb. It has a high oil content (though not as high as the Chinook’s) and its meat is rich, red and delicious. Coho is my second favorite wild salmon species.
- Sockeye (in season mid-May to late July) Sockeye flesh is brilliantly colored–almost fluorescent orange–and even when canned is sold as gourmet-grade fish. When served fresh, it is top notch–firm, rich and flavorful. In fact, many salmon devotees consider sockeye the absolute best of all the salmon–even better than the king. However, it is also the most difficult to cook as it can very easily dry out. I do like sockeye salmon, but I just find it trickier to cook and for that reason it is my third choice.
Recipe for Baked Salmon with Corn and Artichoke Salsa
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen organic corn
- 2 cups grape tomatoes (cut in half)
- 1 package (12 ounces frozen artichoke hearts)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus more for brushing on salmon)
- Unrefined sea salt (to taste)
- Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 1 cup Kalamata olives (sliced in half lengthwise)
- 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 4 6-ounces wild salmon steaks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large baking dish, add the the frozen corn, tomatoes and frozen artichokes. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast vegetables for 25 to 30 minutes, or until artichokes are soft and tomatoes are wilted. Remove vegetables from the oven and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- To the mixing bowl, add the parsley, olives, garlic and lemon juice. Set the salsa aside.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees.
- Rinse the salmon steaks with cool water and pat very dry. Brush both sides of the salmon with olive oil and season with salt. Bake salmon for about 10 minutes, or until the outside begins to flake (note: be extra careful not to over cook wild salmon or it will be very dry!) Serve the salmon with the artichoke salsa.
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Angela
Saturday 8th of October 2016
Easy to make and very fresh taste for salmon. I really enjoyed it. Great recipe!
Ivy Larson
Tuesday 11th of October 2016
Thank you so much Angela! I usually use a fruit salsa (like mango and pineapple) but I really liked the savory twist too. So glad you liked it! Thank you for letting me know ;)