Salmon, sockeye

Scientific name:  Oncorhynchus nerka
Market names:  Salmon, red salmon, sockeye, blueback
Common name:  Sockeye salmon

The Sockeye Salmon Story

Sockeye salmon is the most valuable U.S. salmon species and the premium canned salmon, known as red salmon to canners. Sockeye are also known as kokanees (a landlocked species) and quinaults. The name sockeye has nothing to do with the fish’s eyes but is a corruption of the Native American name sukkai. Sockeye range from California’s Sacramento River system north to the Bering Sea and then south to northern Hokkaido. Bristol Bay, Alaska, has the largest sockeye run, during which millions of fish are taken. Wild-run Bristol Bay sockeye are of such quality that they often compete with Chilean farm-raised coho on the world market. There are also major runs in the Copper River and parts of Southeast Alaska. Commercially caught fish run 4 to 10 pounds. Most are caught with gillnets. You’ll pay a premium for seine-caught fish, but they’re very good, as are the small portion of troll-caught sockeye salmon. Sockeye are not farmed.

Product Profile

For its long migration, the sockeye carries a large amount of fat, making it rich in omega-3s. This gives the meat a nice, rich flavor. Some people feel the flavor rivals or is even better than that of chinook.

The raw meat is firm and has a bright-red or orange-red color. Sockeyes are the reddest-fleshed of the wild salmon. Cooked meat remains red and firm. Skin and flesh color make sockeye attractive as a display item and in buffets.

You Should Know...

Anisakis, a small roundworm, can be present in wild salmon. Freezing the fish to minus 20° F or cooking to an internal temperature of 145° F kills parasites.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 100g/3.5 oz. (raw)
Amount per serving
Calories 168
Fat Calories 77
Total Fat 8.6 g
Saturated Fat 1.5 g
Cholesterol 62 mg
Sodium 47 mg
Protein 21.3 g
Omega-3 1.2 g

Cooking Tips

A light marinade and simple grilling treatment showcase the wonderful flavor of sockeye. Use salmon steaks 1 to 2 inches thick. Prepare a marinade by mixing 1 cup white wine with 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram, 1 teaspoon minced onion and freshly ground black pepper. Marinate in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, turning the salmon once or twice. Grill until fish flakes readily and is no longer translucent.

Substitutions: Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, Rainbow trout

Cooking Methods

Bake, Broil, Grill, Poach, Smoke

Primary Product Forms

Fresh

  • Dressed
  • Steaks
  • Fillets (bone-in/boneless)

Frozen

  • H&G
  • Steaks
  • Fillets

Value-added

  • Canned (primary form)
  • Smoked (hot-smoked)
  • Burgers, patties


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