“Steelhead Salmon” on Restaurant Menu
- This topic has 26 replies, 16 voices, and was last updated Jan 7, 2011 at 7:49 pm by
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Here is the scenario:
You are dining with a group of friends and see ‘steelhead salmon’ on the menu.
Would you be ok with that on the menu?
Would you inquire about the fish with the staff?
Would you order it?
If you did/would not order the fish, what if someone in your party ordered it?I’d like to know what you would do if you saw this on a menu. I’ll share my experience after some of you hopefully leave a response.
It’s probably a farmed Atlantic no matter what they tell you. 😉
Zach
or tank raised 8lb rainbows
What flavor vino complemented it best?
I’ve had steelhead at a restaurant in Atlanta. Rather not mention the name of the establishment. It certainly tasted like steelhead that were caught at Lake Erie Tribs. I for one do not care for the taste.
It has a flavor all its own. I tried it a second time to see if it tasted better and it didn’t.
If you are concerned about the fish being on a menu, I wouldn’t think twice about it. Steelhead are heavily stocked in the Great Lakes.
There is an advisory about not consuming more than 8 oz. of fish from the lakes over a 30 day period. Think this is caused by the use of coal to heat homes, etc. Pollution takes its toll.
I may be a little off on the time frame, but I know I’m close.
One can google Fish Erie.Com and view the data.
The fact that they called it “Steelhead Salmon” sounds like the restaurant doesn’t know their fish.Salmon is the bomb, and I’d eat it and do eat it. Steelhead tastes like a garbage dump.
I personally don’t like veal, but it isn’t going to jack me off if they offer it at a restaurant.
Doug, that looks goooood!
Neither Salmon nor Steelhead are endangered and I do love to eat Salmon. Doug, I agree with Dave, that photo makes me hungry.
Should be a sin to eat a steelhead.
What if it’s a hatchery fish?
Depends on the strain of fish, but I personally would never eat a steelhead.
I wouldn’t order it because I think trout are poor table fare, generally, and I’ve never caught one so I don’t have the reverence for them that many of you do.
We at Rock Creek had the same question about “what the hell is a Steelhead Salmon?” I asked our chef. Turns out, it’s a farmed, Rainbow trout, delivered frozen by Sysco food industries. It’s really neither Steelhead nor Salmon, but it is listed on the product sheet (order form) as “Steelhead Salmon.” That’s why the menu lists it as such. Frozen fish will never beat the taste of fresh fish!
I think Zac has it. I’ve seen that name used before. The market names of fish can be pretty misleading, often intentionally so. “Steelhad salmon” sounds more exotic than “North Carolina farm-raised trout”. I probably wouldn’t order it. If I was thinking of ordering it, I would absolutely ask what it is and where it came from. I rarely buy fish and never buy it unless I know what it is and where it comes from. I wouldn’t expect others not to order it. We all have our little things and seafood is one of mine. That guy ordering steelhead probably uses cloth diapers on his kid or something, so he’s even more righteous than me in the final judgement.
I sometimes eat fish I catch, especially in the spring. If I’m fishing often anyway, and I want to eat fish, I might as well take advantage of the cleanest, most environmentally friendly source of fish I have.
G
Without getting into the popular argument of lake-run steel versus sea-run steel, the sea-run steelhead I have caught in the Pac NW are extremely tasty. I fish a river that is open a very limited time of the year, and only hatchery steelhead may be retained, but their retention is mandatory up to a limit of 4 per day – in other words, according to the rules, if you catch a fin-clipped fish, you are obligated to keep it or face a fine. These fish come from the ocean and are bright and fresh when caught in the river.
That being said, I would not order “Steelhead Salmon” in a restaurant without being able to see the fish before hand and knowing its provenance.
Without getting into the popular argument of lake-run steel versus sea-run steel, the sea-run steelhead I have caught in the Pac NW are extremely tasty. I fish a river that is open a very limited time of the year, and only hatchery steelhead may be retained, but their retention is mandatory up to a limit of 4 per day – in other words, according to the rules, if you catch a fin-clipped fish, you are obligated to keep it or face a fine. These fish come from the ocean and are bright and fresh when caught in the river.
That being said, I would not order “Steelhead Salmon” in a restaurant without being able to see the fish before hand and knowing its provenance.
Todd I’m glad you posted this ’cause that was exactly the case here. Twas my first ever steelhead, caught last October on the Deschutes during a three day-two night trip I was shooting for the outfitter http://www.riverborneoutfitters.com/. (Swung her w/ a spey rod & floating line no less. The guide was prolly more stoked than me..=) Anyhoo, he claimed that as a hatchery fish we had to harvest and suggested enjoying her for dinner that evening. Who were we to say no? She was followed by some tasty chocolate and tangerine smores flambé, then great conversation under the stars. Good stuff all around!
Todd I’m glad you posted this ’cause that was exactly the case here. Twas my first ever steelhead, caught last October on the Deschutes during a three day-two night trip I was shooting for the outfitter http://www.riverborneoutfitters.com/. (Swung her w/ a spey rod & floating line no less. The guide was prolly more stoked than me..=) Anyhoo, he claimed that as a hatchery fish we had to harvest and suggested enjoying her for dinner that evening. Who were we to say no? She was followed by some tasty chocolate and tangerine smores flambé, then great conversation under the stars. Good stuff all around!
Nice pics!
Thanks guys!
Damn Doug, I’m considering running to the store to buy some chocolate and tangerines.
Dave, don’t forget the rum!!! 😉
The waitress would not let me see the fish. I asked if it was whole in the kitchen and she said yes, and then denied me the privilege of going to
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