Which is better - chum salmon or pink salmon? How to choose fish. Red fish

Red fish are from the salmon family. Many people love this coral-colored fish and know that it is healthy.

The word “red” in Rus' has always been associated not only with color, but also with something better: a red corner in a house, a red hut, a red hill. Red fish is called “red” not only because the meat has a characteristic color, but it is believed that this fish is the healthiest of the entire family of swimmers.

The benefits of red fish

What is so healthy about this fish? Oddly enough - fat. Fat, which we try to limit in other products. Here is a storehouse of health. Unsaturated fatty acids Omega 3 and Omega 6 are known to bring invaluable benefits to humans. And the more such fat in a person’s diet, the greater the health benefits.

These polyunsaturated fats are able to normalize the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, thereby preventing the development of atherosclerosis, and therefore arterial pressure a person is normal, and the immune system does not fail.

Omega 3 and 6 acids cannot be found anywhere else except in fatty fish, seafood and flaxseed and camelina oils. Interestingly, the most of these fats are found in those fish that live freely in the cold waters of the ocean. Such fish are much more aromatic and tastier than their friends raised in captivity, for example, in fish farms.

The benefits of red fish also lie in the content of many microelements and vitamins. In first place, of course, are vitamins D and A.

If we compare it with meat, then in terms of the composition of amino acids in red fish there is one more of them - methionine. Methionine is an amino acid that protects our liver and prevents the development of such a terrible disease as diabetes. And for the stomach and intestines, fish is dietary product, since it is digested by the body much better and faster than heavy animal meat.

Types of red fish

The name “red fish” hides many varieties of the salmon family. The common name is salmon. Therefore, when choosing, you must know the types of red fish so that you are not deceived and you know exactly what you are buying!

Salmon

Salmon is big fish weighing somewhere up to forty kilograms. 100 grams of such fish contains almost weekly norm omega 3 fats. In addition, if you take canned red fish, then one jar is enough to provide the body with 10% of daily value calcium. For a variety of diet, this is even very good.

Salmon

Salmon is especially prized among salmon. This fish lives in the northern cold seas. Very tasty, aromatic and, of course, healthy.

Trout

Among salmon fish Trout occupies a special place. Interestingly, trout live both in the salt sea and in freshwater. Trout meat is a richer red color than salmon, but it is lower in calories because it contains less fat. Trout got its name because it contains a lot of phosphorus, like no other red fish. And phosphorus, as you know, is useful not only for good brain function, but also for strong teeth and muscle development.

Chum salmon

In stores on the shelves you can often find a fish called chum salmon. Like salmon, chum salmon is a very large fish with bright pink flesh. If you compare it with other fish, its fat content and calorie content are the same as salmon.

Compared to chum salmon, pink salmon is more small fish. Unscrupulous sellers, often taking advantage of the ignorance of buyers, replace chum salmon with cheaper pink salmon.

How to distinguish pink salmon from chum salmon? Pink salmon is much smaller: if chum salmon is usually sold in carcasses up to 5 kg, then pink salmon is smaller - its weight rarely reaches more than one and a half kilograms. This means that if you see small pieces of pale red fish on the counter, then it is most likely pink salmon.

Pink salmon got its name from its appearance. If you look at it carefully, you can see the hump characteristic of this type of fish. In terms of fat content and calorie content, pink salmon is comparable to trout. Its meat is drier than that of other delicious fish of the salmon family.

How to choose red fish?

In order to get maximum health benefits from healthy and very tasty red fish, you also need to know how to choose the right red fish and what to look for when choosing.

If you want to buy red fish whole carcass, then first of all look at her eyes. They should not be cloudy. Transparent eyes indicate the freshness of the caught fish.
Then lift up the gills. They should be bright red. The color is not determined or has lost its brightness - the fish is not fresh.
Now press on the flesh - it is usually dense in good fish and does not press through.
Fresh fish covered with a characteristic transparent mucus, and it smells like the sea.

Features of preparing red fish

Many dishes are prepared from red fish: baked, fried, cooked in soups and made into cutlets. Red fish baked in foil is very good. This way, all its best taste qualities are preserved. Steamed red fish is shown as a dietary dish.

Have you tried Olivier a la Tsar? This is an unforgettable dish. Instead of chicken this year hearty salad add pieces of boiled red fish.

Dry pink salmon is delicious with various sauces: sour cream and red caviar or tomatoes and olives. Try it, the taste is simply amazing!

If you bought frozen red fish or you have it stored in the freezer, never use water or a microwave to defrost it. To preserve the beneficial properties of red fish, defrost it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, where the compartment for storing vegetables is located.

Fish is an important part of the human diet. Experts recommend regularly eating red fish meat, because it is a source useful microelements, vitamins and fats. From this product our body receives important Omega-3 fatty acids.

Appearance of chum salmon and difference from pink salmon

Unscrupulous sellers deliberately replace chum salmon with pink salmon, since the latter is cheaper, fattier, although no less healthy. Often people who do not understand the topic of fish species and families in detail confuse these two species. That is why when buying, doubts arise and questions arise whether the sellers are deceiving. When cut, the fillet parts are difficult to distinguish, but possible.

Chum salmon is larger in volume: it reaches 1 m in length, with a weight of almost 15 kg. This is a common fish, and ranks confidently in second place in population among its family. The meat of this fish is less calorie and fatty. It looks unremarkable: with a silver color, which is complemented by pink-crimson stripes during the spawning period.

Pink salmon is 25 cm shorter than its relative. This is primarily due to the fact that adult individuals often die after spawning without having time to grow to a large size. A peculiarity has also been noticed that they grow faster. It has spots on the body and pronounced sexual characteristics.

The chum salmon has a highly developed sense of homeland. To spawn, she returns to the place where she was born. Pink salmon, on the other hand, do not have such an instinct, so each time they choose a new place for breeding.

What are chum salmon and pink salmon

Chum salmon and pink salmon are representatives of the Salmon family. They make up 80% of the Salmon catch and are in demand on the market.

Chum salmon is one of the varieties of Pacific salmon, with a characteristic elongated body shape and shiny silver color. There are 2 types: “summer”, which lives in northern latitudes, and “autumn”, living in the southern part of the world. They differ in length: representatives of the north are 20 cm shorter than their relatives from the south.

Balyk is prepared from this fish, canned, salted, dried, smoked, and frozen. In addition to meat, its most valuable caviar is used as food. In our country it is freely available and anyone can purchase it.

Pink salmon, or pink salmon, is also a species from the Salmon family. This fish lives in cold waters, the temperature of which does not exceed 15°. Most optimal temperature for the life of an individual it is 10°, and at 26 it dies. It prefers to eat high-calorie foods, so pink salmon meat is fattier and higher in calories. After only 1.5 years, mature individuals go to spawn to lay eggs and die. The fry, having hatched, remain for some time in a secluded house, waiting until they grow up so that the current carries them into open sea waters.

Chum salmon - sea or river fish

Chum salmon is particularly valuable because it does not breed and does not live in captivity. When buying a real specimen in a store, you can be sure that it was grown in natural conditions and did not use any artificial growth stimulants.

This species has a wide habitat: it is found both in the oceans and in seas and rivers. In terms of prevalence, this fish has no equal among Salmonids. The quality of fish meat directly depends on the diet of the individual. The catches in Russia are small, which also determines the corresponding price.

This is a fish that does not have a specifically defined habitat. Large flocks enter river waters for spawning, while others, on the contrary, melt from the river into the seas and oceans. During such travels, their color changes - it becomes darker and stripes appear.

The large, wide and massive tail is primarily intended for digging holes in which eggs are laid. Some pits reach 2 meters!

Differences between chum salmon and pink salmon

There are several points on which these types differ:

Criterion
	80-100cm, elongated body.	Up to 75cm, with a hump during spawning.
	Light gray, silver, with stripes during spawning.	Gray-blue, and during spawning – gray with a yellow-green belly.
	Lighter, brighter, juicier and larger.	Slightly smaller in size, with thin walls and darker.
4. Spawning site	Place of birth, quiet rivers.	The first place I liked.
	Dietary, tender, full of vitamins and minerals.	Fatty and filling. Calorie content – 140-150 kcal.

They are equally amenable heat treatment, and it turns out wonderful dishes, even with a minimum of spices and additives. A universal product that you can experiment with: processing methods, side dishes and spices. You can get an appetizer, salad, pie, first or second course - you are not limited in your imagination.

When choosing a fillet, pay attention to the shade - pink salmon is faded pinkish. It is the easiest to distinguish among other representatives of the family, and chum salmon has a bright, juicy pink color. Do not buy pickled or frozen, as the shades may be the same due to processing.

Differences in appearance

Chum salmon have a light gray color that darkens on the way to spawning. Crimson stripes also appear in the tail area - this is a sure sign that the individual is heading to the breeding site.

Pink salmon got its name because of the hump that appears on males during spawning. This distinctive sign distinguishes these fish well from others. It also has small scales and dark spots all over its back and tail. The inhabitants of the ocean have a gray color with a blue tint, and during reproduction the color changes to specifically gray with a yellow-green tint on the abdomen.

The caviar also varies: chum salmon eggs are larger, brighter in appearance, with a dense shell. Accordingly, caviar of the second type is smaller, approximately 1 mm in diameter, darker in color and with thinner walls. However, both types have wonderful taste, are equally beneficial for the body and are recommended for consumption. The rich composition of minerals, trace elements, and proteins is what distinguishes the caviar of these fish!

Differences in composition

Chum salmon meat and caviar are considered a more fat, tender, healthy and dietary product. This also affects the price. Based on taste, everyone chooses what they like. And yet, people more often make a choice in the direction of this fish. It contains vitamins E, C, PP, B1 and B5. Caviar contains a third of vegetable protein, which is completely absorbed by the human body. . In contrast, there are supporters of pink salmon who consider it a useful and relatively inexpensive product.

The differences in composition are insignificant. The differences are expressed in mineral and vitamin composition. Chum salmon has a predominance of B vitamins, while its smaller brother has a richer mineral composition. The latter contains a storehouse of iodine and fluorine, as well as manganese. Children in mandatory prescribed to take a course fish oil so that vitamin D is better absorbed. The caviar of both representatives of Salmon, their meat or extracted fat are suitable for this. This is the source polyunsaturated acids, amino acids that are not found in any other food product.

Pink salmon- a fish whose length reaches approximately 38 cm, while the weight is about 2.2 kg. Among other representatives of the Salmon family, it is the smallest. The appearance of a fish directly depends on the place where it lives. In the ocean, pink salmon looks like this: it is colored pale blue with a silver tint. In rivers, the fish becomes paler and acquires a yellow belly and a gray back (see photo). After spawning, males develop a hump behind their head, which explains the corresponding name of this fish. It is by this characteristic that males are distinguished from females. Pink salmon live only a few years.

There is a wide variety of fish on sale: whole carcasses, fillets, belly, back, steaks, etc.

Pink salmon has a delicate taste; this fish is most similar to salmon and trout. The only difference is the juiciness of the meat. In pink salmon it is drier. The smell of fresh fish is subtle. Sharp notes indicate that the product has begun to deteriorate. The smell of fried pink salmon is unpleasant. However, it is very simple to eliminate it: before cooking, the meat of this fish is treated with lemon juice or balsamic vinegar in diluted form.

How to distinguish pink salmon from chum salmon, salmon, salmon, masu salmon, and trout?

It makes practically no sense to compare pink salmon and salmon, since the former belongs to the salmon family, and the latter is already a collective name for all species of fish that belong to this family (pink salmon, salmon, chum salmon, etc.). Sometimes pink salmon can be called salmon. In this regard, it is necessary to give a small comparative characteristics salmon fish such as chum salmon and salmon, and understand how they differ from pink salmon.

Distinguish pink salmon from chum salmon possible based on the following criteria:

Weight. Weight difference is 6 kg. An adult chum salmon weighs about 8 kilograms, and the weight of pink salmon ranges from 1.5 to 2.2 kilograms.

Meat color. Pink salmon has reddish meat, unlike chum salmon, which has pink meat with a light tint.

Scales. In pink salmon it is small, with dark spots on the back and tail and with a white belly; in chum salmon there are no black spots. Also, the latter has silvery and larger scales.

Difference between salmon and pink salmon It starts with appearance and ends with culinary use. The males of the latter fish, unlike the former, grow a so-called hump during the spawning period, hence the name. Also, pink salmon belongs to the Pacific genus of salmon, and salmon belongs to the Atlantic. In addition, the latter type of fish is much larger (can reach one and a half meters in length), while the former can only reach seventy-six centimeters in length. As for culinary differences, many chefs claim that salmon meat, unlike pink salmon meat, is quite dense, so it is used as a cut for rolls and sandwiches. Something else needs to be said about the taste of the two fish. Pink salmon is less tasty, not juicy enough and tougher than salmon. There is also a noticeable difference in the price of the product. Salmon, unlike pink salmon, is very expensive and therefore not available to every consumer.

Pink salmon is different from masu salmon according to several criteria. Firstly, the body of the first fish is covered with large spots, and the body of the second is covered with small ones. Secondly, the eyes of pink salmon are large, while those of masu salmon are small, bead-shaped. Thirdly, the latter, unlike the first, has teeth that are quite sharp, not very small, and are present on the tongue. Fourthly, pink salmon have softer gills than masu salmon. Fifthly, the sima's scales are much larger and can be easily removed without sticking to your hands. Sixthly, pink salmon meat is less fatty than salmon meat.

Concerning differences between pink salmon and trout, then the meat of the latter is much fattier than that of the former. Also, the weight of trout can reach more than twenty kilograms, and the average weight of pink salmon is about two kilograms. The latter has a hump on its back, while the former does not. In addition, trout, unlike pink salmon, has a red stripe on its side, and its entire body is dotted with small dark spots.

How to select and store?

When choosing pink salmon, you should first of all take into account the purpose of purchase, that is, you need to decide in advance what you are going to cook from it. Buy carcasses with the head only if your goal is stuffing fish or making soup from it. Otherwise, choose headless options as they are an extra expense.

To buy high-quality and the freshest fish, use the following recommendations:

If you choose a whole carcass, then pay attention to the color of the abdomen: it should be pink. Yellow color indicates spoilage of the product.
Look at the gills of the fish; if they become green and slimy, the fish is spoiled. U quality pink salmon red gills.
Pay attention to the eyes: they should be transparent, without clouding. Otherwise, you should refuse the purchase.
It's also worth looking at the tail. A weathered, dried tail will indicate that the fish has spoiled.
Particular attention should be paid to the condition of the skin: it must fit tightly to the meat, be absolutely clean and not damaged. If the skin is easily separated from the carcass, you should refuse the purchase, since the fish was stored for quite a long time and most likely in violation of storage standards.
When choosing fillets, pay attention to the color of the meat: it should be pink. White color is a sign that the fish has been frozen. Dishes made from pink salmon like this will be dry no matter what you do.
You should not buy fish that have characteristic bloody marks or bruises.
When buying fish in a store, pay attention to the fact that whole carcasses should be placed under the ice, and fillets above it.
Press your finger on the selected pink salmon: the shape of the fish should be restored almost immediately.

It is worth storing fish by first wrapping it in parchment paper or cling film. If you bought a whole carcass, then place several pieces of ice in the belly and place them on the shelf near freezer. In this state, pink salmon will remain fresh for about 3 days. When frozen, storage time increases to 3 weeks.

Beneficial features

The benefits of pink salmon are due to the presence of various substances that are necessary for normal functioning body. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which have the ability to reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood, normalize blood pressure and increase the protective sheath of nerve cells.

Pink salmon is an excellent source of vitamin D, which takes part in the formation of bone tissue and reduces the risk of osteoporosis and rickets.

The protein contained in pink salmon is absorbed much faster than meat. This fish contains a substance called glutothione, which destroys foreign cells and increases the body's protective functions. Pink salmon has a positive effect on activity of cardio-vascular system. Fish does not contain sugars or carbohydrates, so it can be consumed if you have diabetes.

Pink salmon is quite filling, but at the same time low-calorie product, so you can safely include it in your diet without fear of ruining your figure.

Given the availability large quantity vitamin PP and vitamin B6; when consuming fish, the functioning of the nervous system and digestion is normalized. Sodium, which is part of pink salmon, is necessary to maintain water-salt balance in the body. Pink salmon contains phosphorus, which is involved in the restoration of bone tissue, as well as fluorine, which is involved in hematopoiesis.

Due to its extensive health benefits, including this fish in your diet is recommended for people of any age.

Pink salmon is very healthy during pregnancy, so you can safely eat the fish, but stick to a certain dose. The daily norm of the product eaten is no more than one hundred and fifty grams, and you can enjoy it no more than three times a week.

Pink salmon at breastfeeding also recommended. This fish can be eaten only four months after birth in boiled or steamed form. For the first time you need to eat no more than thirty grams of fish. If the baby feels well within two days, then you can continue to eat pink salmon, but not more than twice a week. The amount of fish eaten per week is no more than four hundred grams. When your baby turns six months old, you can try eating baked fish with vegetables.

Pink salmon with pancreatitis is allowed to be eaten, but only three months after the disease has subsided. It is advisable to eat fish boiled and no more than twice a week. During the period of stable remission, pink salmon fillet can be cooked steamed cutlets, meatballs. In acute forms of the disease, this fish is not recommended.

Use in cooking

Pink salmon is a fairly popular fish in cooking, as it is an excellent independent product, and is also used in a variety of recipes. different dishes. Fish can be subjected to various heat treatments: stewed, baked, boiled, fried, steamed, and grilled. It can also be salted and pickled.

Pink salmon is used to prepare first and second courses, and is also included in the recipe variety of snacks, salads, cutlets, pates and much more.

How to properly cut and clean fish?

“How to properly cut and clean pink salmon?” - the question is quite serious, so it needs to be approached more thoroughly, because the taste of the fish depends on it.

So, to fillet pink salmon at home, you only need a small knife, which is usually used to cut vegetables. First you need to clean the pink salmon from scales. This is done like this: carefully peel off the scales, starting from the tail and ending with the head. Once the scales are removed, the fish should be rinsed in water to remove any remaining scales.

Then you can proceed to the next stage of cutting the fish - removing the entrails. This is how you need to gut pink salmon: rip open the belly of the fish and carefully remove all the entrails. Then you need to clean the film inside the carcass (otherwise fish fillet will be bitter). Make a small cut along the spine of the fish, then cut the film and remove all blood clots. After this, the carcass needs to be washed.

Now you need to clean the pink salmon from bones, fins and tail. First you need to put the fish on the board, cut off its head, tail and fins (from the back and belly), then cut the carcass lengthwise along the belly from the top to the tail. To rid pink salmon of bones, you need to take a small knife, which should be inserted between the rib bones and meat layer near the spine (the sharp side of the knife should be facing the spine bone). Next, gradually move the knife from the base of the ridge to the edge of the abdomen, thereby freeing the meat from the bones. The same should be done with the tail part of the fish. Now you need to remove the ridge, open the fish carcass and cut it into two halves. You should have one part of the fish without bones, and the second with bones, which should be removed in the same way as from the first half.

Now you need to remove the skin from the fish fillet. To do this, pick up the skin from the wide edge of the carcass and pull it to the very bottom. If the meat stretches along with the skin, the skin must be carefully peeled off the meat with a knife. When the skin is removed from the fish, you can cut the pink salmon into portioned pieces and use it for further preparation of the delicacy. If the fish fillet is baked in the oven, then only the large bones will need to be removed, and the small ones will not be touched, since under the influence of heat they will become softer and will be easily removed from the meat.

To cut frozen pink salmon, remove the fish from the freezer in the evening, place it in a deep bowl and place it in the refrigerator. Until the morning, the pink salmon will melt and it will be possible to clean it. Or you can simply remove the fish from the freezer, place it on a cutting board and let it sit on the counter for a couple of hours.

One more thing. If caviar is found when cutting fish, it can also be used to prepare a dish. But before that pink salmon caviar needs to be cleared of film. How to do this at home? Yes, very simple. Remove the caviar from the carcass and rinse under water. Next, carefully cut the film in several places. After this, you will need a sieve with large holes so that the eggs can pass through freely. Place the caviar on a sieve and press down lightly. This way the eggs will pass through the strainer, and the film will remain on the surface.

You can also remove the film from pink salmon caviar using boiling water. Pour water into a small saucepan, place on the stove and boil. Place the caviar in the film into the seething liquid and stir gently with a whisk to collect the loose film on the blades. After this, the water should be drained and the caviar used for salting.

Cut pink salmon for salting very easy and fast. Wash the fish thoroughly and then immerse it in salt water for about fifteen minutes. After this, cut the carcass in half lengthwise, removing the skin and backbone. Then cut the pink salmon fillet into pieces and salt it.

To cut pink salmon for batter, should be taken lightly frozen fish, cut off the head, tail and all fins, and then wash the carcass. Next, you need to make an incision along the ridge along the entire carcass. Starting at the edges of the cut, remove the skin and then divide the fish into two parts, separating one part of the carcass from the bones. To clean the second loin from the bone, you need to grab the spine with one hand and pull out the bones with the other. Pink salmon is ready for cooking in batter.

Below is a video on how to cut pink salmon to get boneless fillets.

How to defrost?

To prepare a pink salmon dish, the fish must first be properly defrosted. You can use two proven methods. In the first case, pink salmon should be placed in a deep container and placed in the refrigerator on the lowest shelf. So the fish should be defrosted in the evening so that by morning it is already defrosted.

The second method implies the following. To quickly defrost pink salmon, remove the fish carcass from the freezer, place it on a board or in a deep container and leave it on the kitchen counter for exactly one hour. Then the fish must be washed thoroughly.

You can defrost pink salmon fillets using the same methods as whole fish.

Moreover, there is another method quick defrost pink salmon - in cold water. Whole fish should be wrapped in several plastic bags and placed in a container with cold water, and then put the bowl of fish under the stream cold water. In an hour and a half, pink salmon will defrost.

How to cook delicious pink salmon at home?

To ready dish Home-cooked pink salmon turned out delicious, you need to know several features of this fish:

If you purchased stale fish, it may taste bitter after cooking. Also, improper storage or re-freezing can affect the taste characteristics.
To stuff pink salmon, you can use mushrooms, various seafood and vegetables. To bake, pour cream sauce over the fish or use cheese.
It is worth considering that if pink salmon is left in the oven, it will become dry. Cooking time - no more than 40 minutes. You need to cook pink salmon for no more than 15 minutes, and fry for about 20 minutes.
To make the fish juicy, before cooking it is recommended to soak it in a marinade, the recipe for which you can choose at your discretion.
Pink salmon meat becomes tender if it is kept in lemon for about 30 minutes.
Do not use too many spices as this will ruin the taste of the final dish. Black pepper, salt, lemon and olive oil work best with pink salmon.
If you decide to bake pink salmon, it is best to do it in foil, as the fish turns out very tasty and juicy.

Pink salmon - so universal fish that it can not only be fried and baked, but also boiled, stewed, pickled, smoked and even dried. This fish goes well with many foods and will give any dish an impeccable taste and aroma. So, let's talk about each cooking method in more detail.

To pickle pink salmon, the fish must first be cut so that two fillets are obtained (the cutting method was described above), and then rinsed in water. When the fish preparation stage is completed, you should proceed directly to salting pink salmon. In a bowl, mix sixty grams of table salt and twenty-five grams of granulated sugar. Rub the fish parts thoroughly with the resulting mixture, then combine them, wrap them in a cellophane bag and put them in the refrigerator for a day. After twenty-four hours, pink salmon can be served, having previously been sprinkled with vegetable oil.

Do lightly salted pink salmon It’s very simple, so anyone can cook fish. Cut the cleaned carcass into small pieces. Then mix thirty grams of salt and ten grams of sugar in a small container. Place a layer of fish pieces in another bowl, grease a little with sunflower oil and sprinkle with a mixture of sugar and salt, as well as black ground pepper and coriander to your taste. Then lay out another layer of fish and also oil it, sprinkle with the mixture and spices. Then another layer and so on until the fish pieces run out. Then close the container with a lid and place in the refrigerator for about five hours.

How to marinate pink salmon? Cut the fish (remove the scales, but do not remove the skin) and cut into pieces. Crush six peas of allspice in a mortar, add one hundred and twenty grams of salt, one hundred grams of sugar and add chopped bay leaves, mix well. Now coat the fish pieces with this mixture, place them in a container, put a slight pressure on top and leave for about forty minutes. At this time, you should mix six crushed peas of allspice, thirty grams of chicory, two crushed bay leaves, half a teaspoon of cinnamon and three cloves. Next, pour boiling water over a one and a half liter jar, then put cloves and bay leaves in it, and then lay pink salmon in layers two pieces high (each layer must be sprinkled with a mixture of spices). Pour the remaining spice mixture into another container, pour eighty milliliters boiled water, pour the same amount of sunflower oil, add a tablespoon of vinegar and stir well. Pour the marinade over the fish, close the jar and leave to marinate for two hours. Then the fish should be put in the refrigerator for another three hours. After five hours, the pickled pink salmon will be ready to eat.

To bake pink salmon in the oven That is, you should take about a kilogram of fish and get fillets from it, which you need to cut into pieces. In a bowl, combine salt and black pepper to taste, adding a teaspoon of cumin and a pinch of oregano. Thoroughly rub the fish pieces with the spicy mixture and let them sit for about twenty minutes. During this time, you should prepare the sauce: add chopped garlic cloves and a chopped bunch of herbs (dill and parsley) to five hundred grams of sour cream, mixing thoroughly. Pour half the sauce onto a baking sheet, then place the fish, pouring the rest of the sour cream sauce on top. Fish pieces need to be baked at one hundred and eighty degrees for about thirty minutes. Baked pink salmon in sour cream sauce turns out very tender and quite juicy.

How to cook pink salmon in a frying pan? Cut the fish, wash it, dry it and cut it into portions (the thickness should not exceed three centimeters). In a small container, mix ten grams of salt and half a teaspoon of black pepper, adding a pinch of seasoning for pink salmon. Rub the mixture onto the fish pieces and then sprinkle them with lemon juice. Leave the fish to marinate for about twenty minutes. Pour flour into a not very deep bowl and roll each piece of fish in it. Frying pink salmon varies within three minutes on each side, until the surface of the fish is covered with a golden crust. Fried pink salmon is great for serving along with boiled rice or vegetables.

Pink salmon stewed is prepared as follows. Clean the fish, cut into pieces and rub with pepper and salt. Next, roll the fish pieces in flour and place in a frying pan to fry until half cooked. Then finely chop the onion, grate the carrots, fry the vegetables in a frying pan, and then add to the fish, adding boiled water and your favorite spices. Simmer the dish over low heat for about twenty minutes.

How to cook pink salmon in a saucepan? You will need three hundred grams of fish, which needs to be cleaned and cut into pieces. Place a pinch in a deep saucepan nutmeg, bay leaf and five peppercorns. Half onions cut into half rings, cut a little less than half of the carrots into slices and place in a saucepan, adding salt to taste and six hundred grams of water. Place the container on the stove and boil. Let the broth boil for about ten minutes, then drop the fish pieces into it. Cooking pink salmon in a saucepan takes about twenty minutes. Boiled red fish goes best with lemon slices and a sprig of dill.

Pink salmon in a convection oven It cooks quite quickly and does not require much effort. Cut the fish, wash it, cut it into pieces, salt and season lemon juice. Place the bottom grill in a container for an electrical appliance, grease it with sunflower oil, and then place pieces of fish on it. Place on air fryer temperature regime at two hundred and fifty degrees, and the timer for forty minutes.

To make pink salmon on an electric grill, you must first make the marinade: mix in a container fifteen grams of garlic and ginger, three hundred milliliters of soy sauce, seventy-five milliliters olive oil, one hundred and five grams of granulated sugar (preferably brown), half a glass of water and fish spices for taste. Place the pink salmon fillet in a sealed bag and pour the marinade over it. Place the fish in the refrigerator for exactly five hours. Place the marinated pieces of pink salmon on the grill and bake for about five minutes on each side.

How to bake pink salmon in the microwave? Cut the fish, wash and cut into pieces. Take a special bowl for a kitchen appliance, put the first layer of fish there, salt, season with spices, sprinkle onions on top, cut into half rings, and then grease with mayonnaise, and so on each layer until the fish is gone. After this, cover the container with a lid and place it in the microwave, setting the maximum power and the timer for fifteen minutes. This baked pink salmon is perfect for vegetable salad, mashed potatoes, rice or vegetables.

To prepare pink salmon in a slow cooker You will need to cut the fish, wash it thoroughly, and then cut it into steaks. Next, pour thirty-four milliliters of sunflower oil into the bowl of the device, turn on the “Baking” program, let the oil heat up a little, then put fish steaks there, rubbed with salt and pepper, and fry for ten minutes on one side, and then another five minutes on the other sides. Then you should prepare the sauce: mix three tablespoons of mayonnaise and liquid sour cream. Pour the prepared sauce over the pink salmon and bake for about half an hour in the “Baking” mode. At the end of cooking, sprinkle grated cheese on top of the fish (about one hundred and fifty grams is needed) and turn on the “Keep Warm” program for another ten minutes. During this time, the cheese will have time to melt.

To cook pink salmon steamed in a double boiler, the fish should be cut, washed thoroughly, cut into small steaks, sprinkled with lemon juice, moderately salt and pepper. Then place the fish steaks on the upper compartment of the device, pour some water into the lower compartment and cook for about fifteen minutes. A few minutes before the end of cooking, place a rosemary sprig or a small piece of ginger on each piece of fish. Steamed pink salmon goes well with zucchini, or green beans, or cauliflower.

It turns out very tasty fried pink salmon on the fire. First you need to fillet the fish and then cut it into large pieces. Mix to taste in a deep bowl table salt, pepper, sunflower oil, mustard, seasoning, lemon juice, then put in the onion, cut into half rings, and then put in the fish pieces, mixing well. Leave the pink salmon to marinate for sixty minutes. After this, place the marinated fish steaks on the grill and fry for about twenty minutes. Fried pink salmon on the grill it turns out very juicy, tender and very tasty.

How to smoke pink salmon? Cut the fish (if the scales are not damaged, they do not need to be removed) and rinse. In a bowl, mix sixty grams of salt and ten grams of ground pepper. Rub the resulting mixture generously onto the fish and leave it for several hours so that the pink salmon is well salted. For smoking it is better to take alder shavings. When the shavings flare up and white smoke starts to appear, the fish can be placed on the grill. Pink salmon is cooked in a smokehouse for about forty minutes. After this, the fish should be allowed to air a little. Smoked pink salmon has a golden hue. Keep ready product in the refrigerator for no more than a week.

To wilt pink salmon, fish fillet cut into pieces. Next, in a bowl, mix sixty grams of salt and twenty-five grams of sugar, as well as dried parsley to taste. IN ready mixture mix the fish pieces and put them in the refrigerator for a day. We dry pink salmon in a special dehydrator at forty-five degrees for twenty-four hours. After this, cool the dried fish pieces and transfer them to a container. We store the finished delicacy in the refrigerator.

What does pink salmon go with? You can bake fish in the oven along with vegetables (potatoes, zucchini, cauliflower), cheese, herbs (dill, parsley), lemon.

A side dish for pink salmon can be presented in the form of vegetable dishes or porridges. If you bake fish with champignons, then pink salmon in this form goes well with a vegetable salad, boiled rice or mashed potatoes.

You can also serve the sauce with pink salmon. Usually the fish is topped with creamy, garlicky, sour cream sauce or bechamel sauce.

What can I substitute in the recipe?

Pink salmon can be replaced in the recipe with salmon, chum salmon, trout or some other red fish of the salmon family.

But it is recommended to replace canned pink salmon for salad canned tuna or saury.

Smoked pink salmon can be replaced lightly salted fish, for example, in making tartlets.

Harm of pink salmon and contraindications

Pink salmon can be harmful to people who have an individual intolerance to the product. It is contraindicated to eat such fish if there is a ban on the consumption of iodine and phosphorus. People with ulcers, liver problems and gastrointestinal diseases should be careful when using pink salmon.

Please note that during long-term heat treatment a large amount of useful substances in pink salmon it is destroyed.

Fishing for pink salmon

Fishing for pink salmon begins in the middle of the summer season. The habitat of pink salmon is cold waters, so the fish can be found in:

waters of the Arctic and Pacific oceans;

rivers of Asia, including the northern part of Japan (approximately to the island of Honshu);

reservoirs of northern America.

Where are pink salmon found in Russia? Here they catch pink salmon, starting from the rivers of the Bering Strait, then moving south to Peter the Great Bay, and then heading a little south. The fish is also found on:

Kamchatka;

Kuril Islands;

Sakhalin.

This fish can also be seen in the Amur River.

When is the fresh catch of pink salmon? Fishing for pink salmon lasts until the fish begin to spawn, that is, somewhere from spring until the middle of the summer season (more precisely, until the end of June). After this, fishing is prohibited.

When do pink salmon go to spawn? Such fish begin to spawn at different times, since they live on different coasts. Most pink salmon swim into rivers to spawn around the end of June. This period lasts no more than two months, and sometimes can last until September.

It is better to catch pink salmon in reservoirs near reaches with a pebble bottom and under a direct current. Catching pink salmon with long casts is very rarely practiced, since the fish swims close to the shore.

What to use to catch pink salmon? The most successful way to catch fish is with spinning rods, tackle and fly fishing. You can also catch pink salmon using a regular fishing rod. At the same time, the fishing line for pink salmon should not be thinner than 0.8, otherwise you can cut your fingers and palms while landing the fish. The spinner for pink salmon should not be rotating, because the fish almost does not react to it. It is best to use a very brightly colored vibrator.

What do pink salmon bite on? Artificial flies may be suitable for catching pink salmon. The fish also bites well on eggs rolled into a rope. In addition, baits for pink salmon can be made more colorful by attaching bright threads, feathers or colored plastic to the spoon. Experienced anglers recommend using orange, blue or purple.

Pink salmon is one of the most popular fish species due to a huge number useful properties. It is sold whole or cut into pieces of different sizes. Sellers often use tricks to sell stale goods and reduce their losses. For example, pink salmon that has been frozen and thawed several times can be mixed with chilled salmon, and young salmon with old salmon. You can distinguish a good fish only with some knowledge and after a thorough examination.

Pink salmon can be sold on store shelves in the following forms::

whole, not gutted;
whole gutted fish with head;
whole gutted fish without head;
separate pieces;
individual parts of pink salmon (tails, fins and other parts with a small amount meat).

What kind of pink salmon should you buy?

Choosing good pink salmon is a rather difficult question. Determining the quality of gutted fish or its individual pieces is much easier than assessing fresh, ungutted pink salmon. Each option has its own rules.

the standard weight of whole pink salmon averages from 800 g to 1.5 kg;
the amount of ice on frozen pink salmon should not exceed 5%;
The belly of a good pink salmon is even in color, not swollen and rather flat (the exception is females with caviar);
if the pink salmon is gutted, then you need to determine the color inside its belly (it should be pink);
the gills of pink salmon should be light red (their color is always bright and rich);
the scales of fresh pink salmon are clean, shiny and smooth;
the skin of pink salmon should not have even the slightest damage;
pink salmon fillet should have a pinkish color;
when pressing on the fish there should be no dents left;
the pink tint of the belly of pink salmon indicates the presence of caviar;
the smell of fresh fish should not contain an ammonia tint;
The skin of high-quality pink salmon fits tightly to the meat.

If pink salmon is purchased in packaging, then special attention should be paid to its safety. You cannot buy fish in damaged packages. Despite its acceptable appearance, it can be damaged.

The price of ungutted pink salmon is much lower, but do not forget that after cutting, almost half of the weight will be waste. Savings in in this case not too significant.

It is believed that the meat of male pink salmon is more juicy and fatty. This nuance can be determined by numerous criteria. For example, the female’s color is lighter, the male’s head is sharp and elongated, and the female’s is rounded. The rear fin of the male is short, while that of the female is elongated.

Signs of pink salmon that you should avoid purchasing

During fishing, pink salmon may be damaged. It is very difficult to visually identify “broken” fish if it is purchased whole. When cutting or cutting pink salmon, real bruises and bruises may be visible. The taste of fish in the presence of such signs does not change, but during the cooking process, the broken places will not maintain integrity and will fall apart.

You should refuse to purchase pink salmon if the following factors are present::

dark or green gills;
mucus in the gills is not acceptable for high-quality pink salmon;
yellow color of the inside of the abdomen;
a dry pink salmon tail indicates that the fish has been defrosted and frozen several times;
skin in the form of bubbles or not tightly fitting to the meat indicates improper storage of the fish (or its age);
the lack of rich color of pink salmon fillet indicates that it was frozen;
distinct dents remaining after light pressure;
numerous damage to the skin, scales or individual parts of the fish.

If you put pink salmon in water, then good fish will drown immediately. A low-quality or spoiled product will float on the surface with its belly up.

Thanks to a little trick, you can determine the age of pink salmon. In this case, you just need to compare the date of fishing and the time of its sale. For example, if you buy pink salmon caught in April in September, it is extremely difficult to call it fresh. Old fish or food that has not been stored correctly will taste bitter after cooking.

Red fish is considered the most popular seafood in cooking. It is tasty and healthy, you can prepare many dishes from it. But the wide variety of species often makes choosing fish difficult. The question especially often arises: which is better - chum salmon or pink salmon? After all, these are the most common types of red fish, but they differ in taste and other characteristics.

Red fish in nutrition

Fish is generally good for health, especially red fish. Representatives of the salmon family are called this because of the color of their meat. People who eat red fish get sick less. It has long been considered a valuable dietary product.

About 80% of the salmon family fish on sale are chum salmon, coho salmon, and pink salmon. Which one is better is difficult to determine, since the differences are usually subtle. Although there is a slight difference in the composition, calorie content and density of meat. In addition, salmon include salmon, sockeye salmon, chinook salmon, whitefish, omul and others, but they are less common and have no commercial significance.

Balyk is prepared from red fish, it is salted and smoked. It is often sold frozen. This is a universal product from which you can prepare many delicious and healthy dishes. In addition to meat, salmon caviar is highly valued.

Red fish is useful for the prevention of diseases of the cardiovascular system. Due to the presence of a large number of useful microelements, amino acids and fatty acids it prevents disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system, normalizes hormonal levels and the functions of the endocrine glands.

Red fish is useful for maintaining good vision and preventing dysbacteriosis. Eating it helps maintain healthy hair, nails and skin. Red fish contains microelements that are not found in other foods, so it is recommended to include it in your food. For example, it contains a lot of Omega-6 fatty acids, vitamins A and D.

Features of pink salmon

This is the most common type of red fish. It is quite inexpensive, so it is accessible to many. This is a small fish, its weight does not exceed 5.5 kg. She eats only high-calorie foods. Therefore, pink salmon meat is fattier and denser. It has a richer mineral composition than chum salmon and a higher calorie content.

Distinctive features of pink salmon are dark spots on the back. It has smaller scales. Male pink salmon have a noticeable hump on their back, which is why the fish got its name.

Features of chum salmon

Chum salmon is a fairly large representative of the salmon family; its weight can reach 14 kg. It is widely available and popular among buyers. Its meat is soft and tender, not very fatty. Chum salmon does not live in captivity; it eats only natural food, so its meat does not contain artificial additives. If we compare the composition of which is better - chum salmon or pink salmon, then chum salmon meat contains more vitamins. This fish is considered a dietary food because it is low in calories.

Chum salmon is larger than pink salmon, but lighter in color. It has a light silver color and fairly large scales. Chum salmon has a characteristic elongated body shape and a massive tail.

Which is better - chum salmon or pink salmon?

This question is difficult to answer, since everyone has different tastes. Some people prefer the dense, fattier meat of pink salmon. It is considered high-calorie and healthy. But others prefer the tender dietary meat of chum salmon. Although it costs more. Those who buy it for salting often think about which fish is better - chum salmon or pink salmon. It is believed that pink salmon is less suitable for these purposes, since it is dry and tough. But some people like this particular fish.

Which caviar is better

Sockeye salmon, chum salmon or pink salmon are those types of red fish whose caviar is common on store shelves. She's a little different appearance. But all red caviar is a very valuable nutritional product. Both chum and pink salmon are tasty and contain many useful microelements. But people who are wondering which red fish is better - chum or pink salmon, often also try to choose a certain type of caviar.

To do this you need to know its differences:

Chum salmon caviar is large, with a dense shell, bright orange in color. It contains more protein and beneficial microelements. This caviar is the fattest, has delicate taste.
Pink salmon eggs are smaller and lighter in color. The product tastes lightly salted and does not taste bitter.
Sockeye salmon has small, bright red caviar. It may have a bitter taste.
Coho salmon caviar is dark and medium in size. The taste is bitter.

How to choose

Some sellers sometimes replace chum salmon with pink salmon, since it is cheaper and chum salmon meat is more valuable. Therefore, it is important to know how they differ. When buying a whole fish, you can pay attention to its characteristic features: pink salmon has dark spots on the back and a hump, while chum salmon has a lighter color and a large tail.

But most often fillets of this fish are substituted for sale. People who know what is better - chum salmon or pink salmon - understand such features. Pink salmon meat is pale pink in color, so it is easy to identify. But when processing fish, for example, when canning or even freezing, it can be treated with dyes. And then pink salmon acquires a bright pink, juicy color, the same as that of chum salmon. Therefore, it is recommended to buy chilled, fresh fish.

When buying red fish you need to pay attention to some signs:

the surface of fresh fish should be shiny and clean, without mucus;
scales and fins should fit tightly to the skin;
eyes should be clear, prominent and shiny;
gills - pink or red;
canned or salty fish should contain as little dyes, preservatives and flavor enhancers as possible, the color is not bright, with pale veins;
the fillet should be of uniform color, the meat should be dense and hold its shape well.