How to cook pink salmon

[MR.uninformed]

Well, I've got the pink salmon year on my mind right now mainly because im suposed to be studying for my grade 9 math exam thats tommorow and im trying to waste time so whats your best and worst expirience eating pink salmon and how do you cook it?
Worst: at a youth group dinner, costco pink salmon with a cheese sauce and whole jalapeno peppers
Best: some smoked salmon candy

[warnniklz]

1st - catch pink salmon (this is easy)
2nd - buy a dog
3rd - dog burries the fish in the tomato garden
4th - grow excellent tomatos
5th - make a salad

I hate pink salmon! along with chums.

You guys that eat those things are manlier than I could ever be

[Fella]

I don't know many people who will eat them unless they've been soaked in a heavy brine and then smoked.

[lip_ripper00]

Tuff guys eh? well when they don't open sockeye, springs are scarce and no opening for coho, watcha gonna can? LOL

[warnniklz]

watcha gonna can? LOL

tomatoes...

[r106]

I don't mind pink salmon. I always make smoke salmon or candied salmon but it's not bad bbq. It's not nearly as good as others but I wouldn't say it tastes bad.

[MR.uninformed]

One of the main reasons im asking is because i want to take my 9 yr old sister fishing at the end of summer and im sure she will want to eat her catch

[lip_ripper00]

tomatoes...

Yuuuuuupppp don't get me wrong they aint my fave but caught in New West smoked and canned their not 1/2 bad. Makes me laugh at inlanders killing black coho or red sockeye and raving about it!!!

[Shooter]

Nothing wrong with a nice ocean run pink on the bbq. They aren't quite as flavorful as some others but there is definitely nothing wrong with them. And they smoke up real nice as well.

[greenhorn]

I like Pinks that are BBQ'd. One thing I've learned with catching Pinks is that you have to take better care of them than other Salmon. Specifically, bleed them and put them on ice as soon as they're bonked. As soon as I started doing this the quality of the BBQ'd Pinks was pretty good.

A Pink that's been soaking in tepid water for 4 hours.... not so good.

Anyway, that's my $0.02.

[GoodPartner]

mulligan soup!

[Rhyno]

I tend to let the pinks go, but that is just because I am spoiled living where I do. Make sure when you catch one that it is cleaned ASAP and put on ice if possible. I guided at a lodge where people (unguided) would come back after and day out on the water and have a pink that sat in the box for 12 hours in the heat....your fingers would squish right through it....I still cringe. Take care of your catch and you should have some good quality eats.

[SeaScene]

Skin side down (oiled) on the b'q. Lather mayo over side that is up. Ad spices (cajun is nice) or lots of dill to the flesh side up. Put a sheet of aluminum foil over the top (loosely). Cook only to the point that there is some nearly cooked interior of the filet. Yummmmy.... Make sure as other posters said to filet and ice Asap.

[Rodd]

I've always enjoyed them... BBQ or in the oven, with dill and lemon pepper, yummy... You caostal guys must be just spoiled.!

[Fella]

I suppose you could always cedar plank em. My favorite way to cedar plank chinook is to dab butter all over the flesh, sprinkle brown sugar over that (how sweet you want it decides how much sugar you put on) sprinkle dried mustard over top and then lemon juice. Make sure the plank has been soaking for a few hours otherwise you're gonna have a bad time. Barbecue until the outer parts are cooked (it's ok if the middle is still a bit raw, as fish cooks awhile after being taken off the heat) and serve. I like to have some wild rice or garlic roasted potatos and a nice garden salad to go along with it.

[bighorn]

pink salmon has to be fresh ,try it instead of cod in fish and chips.that is tasty.

[604redneck]

1st - catch pink salmon (this is easy)
2nd - buy a dog
3rd - dog burries the fish in the tomato garden
4th - grow excellent tomatos
5th - make a salad

I hate pink salmon! along with chums.

You guys that eat those things are manlier than I could ever be
I'm on ur side with this one I smoke all the pinks and dogs I catch

[warnniklz]

one thing I will admit... Pinks are grat for getting kids and rookies into salmon fishing.

And I haven't tried a fresh ocean caught pink

[bigslim]

Nothing wrong with a nice ocean run pink on the bbq. They aren't quite as flavorful as some others but there is definitely nothing wrong with them. And they smoke up real nice as well.

x2 Gutted, scaled and scraped clean of the slime asap. BBQ, Oven or smoked have at-er

[steel_ram]

Fresh or not at all. They go soft so fast!

[Salty]

I wouldn't want to eat one one all red and humpified in a river but if they're still pretty silver nothing wrong with pinks. Like others I'm spoiled and prefer sockeye or spring. But anyways take care of it right away keep it cool, whatever your method of cooking make it quick.. like 8 minutes a side on a barbe or fry pan type of quick and enjoy.

[Phoneguy]

If you can't barbeque, cut a filet to fit in a cast iron frying pan, fairly hot. Lightly coat the flesh side with olive oil and sprinkle with lemon pepper. Fry in generous butter (not margarine). Make is sizzle by squeezing some fresh lemon on it while it cooks (if available but not a deal ender if not), flip to brown the meat (quick) and serve. Skin should come off easy. Don't over cook. You know it is done when the meat flakes easily (pulls apart) with a fork. Then wipe down your mom's stove because you forgot to put the splatter screen on it :-D.


Yes there are better tasting salmon out there, but pinks are readily available when in season.

James

[Jack Russell]

A freshly caught pink salmon in good condition (no disfiguring hump, still shiny) is extremely good eating. They are very mild in flavor and finely textured. The remind me of a very good eating trout.

Where pinks do not seem to be well thought of is after they have been frozen. They do not seem to do so well when frozen for any period of time.

They are good smoked as well.

As always, the condition of the fish and the care taken in preserving the catch are paramount.

[fishingguy44]

If I cant bbq a pink on the beach right after catching it ill kepp a few and grind them up with lots off dill, some egg, bread crumbs and make burgers

[YAMMY-CA]

pink salmon=sturgeon bait and dog food.

[fishingguy44]

You shouldnt be keeping fish if your not eating them. We dont hunt deer for dog food do we? Horrible example for the future stewards of our land!

[Jack Russell]

pink salmon=sturgeon bait and dog food.

Uninformed.

[russm]

Just keep the freshest cleanest ones as you can and make sure you bleed them right away, I usually just smoke mine.

[bcbrez]

Smoked and canned.

[betteroffishing]

if were talking eating a catch just for the sake of enjoying the fruits of your labour , cant beat a little salt and pepper , fry in butter in a cast iron fry pan over an open fire or off the camp stove. pink salmon isnt my fave and i practice catch and release when they are in cause they are fun to catch , but in a pinch done this way they'll be great





One of the main reasons im asking is because i want to take my 9 yr old sister fishing at the end of summer and im sure she will want to eat her catch

[Riverbc]

Pinks and chum make great salmon candy. I use to turn my nose up at chum....until I bonked a few and candied them up!

[Jack Russell]

Chum are great eating as well. The late lower Fraser run in the beginning of November offer excellent eating fish, smoked or not. In fact, in our little unscientific "taste test", the chum was highly favored over coho, both species prepared the same. The chum did not dry out, had a mild flavour, and is perfectly suited to compliment other flavours/sauces. I doubt I'll ever eat a coho again - they're ok but they have never really been my first choice.

I personally don't care for non migratory, immature salmon, such as a "winter spring". No fat and too strong of a taste. Will I eat it if its there? Of course, but its not my favourite despite the fact that it is a beautiful clean fish. And, I certainly wouldn't tell someone its dog food either.

The WORST thing you can do to any fish, is overcook it. No matter the fish species, how well it was looked after in the hold, or how well it was prepared - if you over cook fish, you have ruined it as far as I"m concerned.

Unfortunately, people including myself, are spoiled with choice on the west coast. Some species dominate the "culture" and become the paradigm, leaving the other species somewhat forgotten to the point of being dismissed as we see in previous posts.

JR

[Opinionated Ol Phart]

There is NO such thing as a poor tasting salmon. The golden rule for ANY salmon is whack it, bleed it, gut it, ice it immediately. Each specie has its own eating attributes, and if you recognize that and treat them accordingly, they are great. Its NOT the salmon-- its an incompetent cook that spoils a salmon.