Wellness Recipe: Hoisin Glazed Wild Salmon

This is the recipe I prepared on WLEX TV today.

Eating fish is better than taking fish oil capsules

The Omega-3 fatty acids present in fish is something we all need more of in our diets to help fight heart disease and inflammation. However, the latest research shows that fish oil supplements are not as beneficial. Salmon – and the healthiest choice is wild salmon from Pacific or Alaskan waters – is a top choice both for flavor and for Omega-3s.

Why is wild salmon preferable to farmed?

Farmed "Atlantic" salmon, which is more widely available, is often raised with antibiotics due to overcrowded farming conditions. Salmon farms also create pollution along waterways, which affects the ecosystem and destroys fisheries for native species. Farmed salmon does contain more fat than wild salmon, however, it can also contains toxins that put you at risk for cancer. (There are some farmed salmon that are raised sustainably, notably in Scotland, but this is not the type commonly found in conventional supermarkets).

Why do Farmed Salmon contain more PCBs than Wild Salmon?

• Studies found that the fishmeal fed to farmed salmon is highly contaminated with PCBs.
• Because farmed salmon are "fatter" the PCBs are stored in fat and remain there for an extended period of time, therefore farmed salmon contain more PCBs.
• In January 2004, the journal Science warned that farmed salmon contain 10 times more toxins (PCBs, dioxin, etc.) than wild salmon. The study recommends that farmed salmon should be eaten once a month, perhaps every two months as they pose cancer risks to the human beings.

Wild Salmon can be found fresh certain times of the year, but is sold frozen nearly year round at natural food chains such as Wild Oats and Whole Foods Market, as well as larger supermarket chains.

Hoisin-Honey Wild Salmon Fillets

This is a simple recipe you can make in about 10 minutes. I used local honey from Midway’s Hosey Honey and Bourbon Barrel soy sauce to ‘localize’ it. Enjoy! This sweet-and-salty marinade is equally delicious with pork or chicken.

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Four 6-ounce wild salmon fillets
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

   1. Preheat the oven to 450°. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven. In a small bowl, combine the hoisin, soy sauce, honey and garlic.
   2. In a large, ovenproof, nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Place them in the skillet, skinned-side up, and sear over high heat until browned on the bottom, about 30 seconds. Flip the fillets and spoon half of the hoisin glaze over them.
   3. Transfer the skillet to the top rack of the oven and roast the salmon for 3 minutes. Spoon the remaining hoisin glaze over the fillets and roast for another 3 minutes. Baste the fillets with the glaze in the pan and roast until just cooked through, about 2 minutes longer.