When you’re buying and cooking salmon at home, you can choose the best fish and prepare it exactly to your taste. But how do you get the results you want in a restaurant? Salmon’s flavor and texture vary widely, so it’s important to know what to look for on a menu.
We’re accustomed to being asked if we want a steak cooked rare, medium, or well done. But what if you’re asked how you want your salmon? The USDA recommends that salmon and other fish be cooked through to a temperature of 145° Fahrenheit to eliminate any bacteria or parasites. At this temperature, it is opaque and flakes easily.
Salmon, however, is sometimes served raw and sometimes with a simple sear on the outside. It depends on the fish, the dish, and the chef.
You’re most likely to encounter raw salmon in the form of sushi, sashimi, or lox. Other raw salmon dishes you may see on a restaurant menu include ceviche or salmon tartare. Sometimes it’s even used in poke bowls.
If you are going to order raw or seared salmon, keep some safety tips in mind. Chefs should use sushi-grade or sashimi-grade salmon for raw dishes, and it should be blast-frozen to kill parasites before use.
When you’re eating at a restaurant, you may feel uncomfortable asking where your salmon comes from or how it was handled before reaching your plate. Don’t worry. A good restaurant has knowledgeable servers and chefs who will happily answer any questions you have about food sourcing and safety. They want you to have the best dining experience possible.
So feel free to ask if your raw or rare salmon dish is made with sushi-grade salmon and if it was blast-frozen before preparation.
If the menu doesn’t specify, ask your server if your salmon is farmed or wild. We think wild salmon is tastier and more nutritious. All Atlantic salmon served in restaurants is farmed. Catching and serving wild Atlantic salmon is illegal. Wild Pacific salmon, like Copper River salmon, is legal, sustainable, and absolutely delicious.
A tip for those of you who are members of a country club or other members-only establishment: talk to the restaurant manager about serving wild salmon. If they already do, that’s great! If they do not, you and your fellow diners will enjoy the taste upgrade when they make the switch.