There is an unusual ingredient that’s gained more popularity as the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus has taken over the world. It’s salmon. This happened as many restaurants in Europe and the United States closed down due to the unprecedented virus and a large amount of Norwegian raw salmon was imported to Korea. As a result, salmon sales in one of Korea’s large supermarket chain stores increased by 22% in 2020, and a staggering 244% in January of 2021. Accordingly, the interest in easy and delicious ways to enjoy salmon at home has risen as well.
Salmon is a healthy ingredient that’s also been selected by America’s Times magazine as the only fish out of the top 10 superfoods in the world. Not only is it rich in vitamin A, vitamin B, and antioxidants like astaxanthin, it’s also abundant in omega-3 fat, collagen, and unsaturated fat. That’s why salmon is renowned as a food product that can help with beauty, protecting eyesight, preventing adult diseases, and enhancing brain development.
Then how should you choose fresh salmon? The way to choose fresh salmon differs from when you’re buying a whole salmon to when you’re purchasing fillet products. When choosing whole salmons, you should see if the scales are intact, the meat has a bright orange hue, the eyes are clear, and the gill is bright red. When you’re choosing salmon fillets, you should look for ones that don’t have a fishy smell and have firm and supple meat, without any water inside the packaging.
You should enjoy salmon as soon as possible after purchasing if you want to enjoy its freshness more deliciously. It’s best to eat it on the day of buying, or at least within two days. It’s safe to freeze smoked salmon. Raw salmon can also be stored in the freezer covered in a wrap with kelp or vegetables like onion, celery, and dill, but you should never refreeze salmon that’s already been defrosted once.
If you bought a salmon fillet, there’s no need to clean it again. All you have to do is remove the moisture with a kitchen towel or cotton cloth to get it ready for cooking. If you purchased a whole salmon, on the other hand, you should remove the gill and intestines right after buying it to get rid of the odor. Rinse the salmon in running water to wash off the blood and rinse it again in saltwater. Then, slice the salmon thinly in the direction going from the back towards the tail. Once you’ve cut the salmon in appropriate sizes after removing the bones from the meat, you’re ready to find healthy recipes to use the salmon in! Why don’t you get more inspiration for healthy dinner ideas from this salmon papillote recipe, which was introduced in one of Korea’s TV shows? Not only is it easy to make and doesn’t require an oven, but it’s also a very healthy recipe because it uses carrots, a green-yellow vegetable that’s high in lipids and antioxidants, making it a perfect match for salmon!
