Ingredient of the Week: Keta Salmon

The latest salmon of the season, Keta salmon, is now available. Although chef Tom Douglas thinks it sometimes gets a “bad rep” because it’s not as red as the other salmon, “it’s certainly delicious, especially when it’s caught in very cold water and when it’s caught at sea.”

Keta generally runs $10 cheaper, and you can find it also under the names “chum” and “pink salmon.”

Chef Thierry Rautureau says Keta is quite exceptional baked, particularly compared to sauteing; Keta doesn’t stay together as well as other salmon and lends itself well to baking.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to bake your salmon, Tom says you can’t go wrong with tartar sauce and breadcrumbs. It’s easy, he says, and delicious.

To make it a little fancier, Thierry recommends taking your fish “de chapelure,” with “breadcrumbs chopped really fine, a little olive oil, and maybe a little flake of heat in there.” Top the salmon with the mixture and bake at 350-400 degrees. To test for doneness, use a meat thermometer; it’s done when it reaches 125 degrees – it will cook more while it’s resting.

“It will come out beautiful and tender and the breadcrumb will give it nice texture on top,” he says.

When selecting your cut of salmon, Tom says you want to stay away from the leaner, more muscular tail area. With salmon, the more fat the better, which tends to be the belly area.

Whole Foods Markets are a proud sponsor of Seattle Kitchen’s Ingredient of the Week.