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Keta salmon, cooked and plated
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Keta salmon

Mild, lean and firm, with a pale orange colour. A gentle salmon that loves a sauce or a glaze.

  • Wild
  • Bake with a glaze or sauce
  • 10 to 12 min at 200°C/400°F for a 6 oz portion
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The short version

How to cook it

Thaw
Overnight in the fridge
Take it out of the vacuum pack, set it on a plate, cover it and leave it in the fridge overnight.
Best way
Bake with a glaze or sauce
Time
10 to 12 min at 200°C/400°F for a 6 oz portion
Done when
63°C/145°F
Flesh turns opaque and just flakes. Thickest part.
Step one

How to thaw keta salmon

● Best

Overnight in the fridge

Take it out of the vacuum pack, set it on a plate, cover it and leave it in the fridge overnight.

● Faster

Cold water, sealed bag

Seal it in a leakproof bag and sink it in cold water, 20 to 30 minutes. Change the water if it warms. Cook it as soon as it is thawed.

Step two

How to cook keta salmon

Bake

200°C/400°F, 10 to 12 min, with a glaze.

Poach

In barely simmering stock, 8 to 10 min.

Steamed Wild Pacific Salmon →

Salmon cakes

Bake or poach, flake, form, pan-fry 3 min a side.

Get it right

17 things that make the difference

  1. Longer salmon dry-brine: 30–60 minutes

    Sprinkle salmon with kosher salt; refrigerate 30–60 minutes, then remove excess salt and pat dry before cooking.

    From Chef Julian Bond

  2. Crispy salmon skin: patience

    Pat skin very dry, place skin-side down in a lightly oiled hot pan, and leave undisturbed until crisp (often around 4–5 minutes, depending on thickness). Finish briefly on the other side.

    From Chef Julian Bond

  3. One-side-mostly salmon method

    Cook salmon approximately 90% of the way skin-side down, then flip briefly for 15–30 seconds to finish.

    From Steven Courtney

  4. Skip the Cedar Plank: direct-grilled salmon

    Preheat the grill to approximately 200°C/400°F and oil the grates. Place salmon skin-side down, then turn once when it releases readily. Cooking time varies with thickness; check the thickest part with a food thermometer rather than relying on fixed minutes. For a conservative consumer-facing target, cook to 63°C/145°F. Avoid serving undercooked salmon to higher-risk individuals.

  5. Cedar-planked salmon

    A cedar plank imparts mild smoke and helps keep salmon off the grates. Original concept paired Gitanyow sockeye with Amy Cho compound butters.

    From Chef Robert Clark and Chef Amy Cho

  6. A simple customer’s salmon supper

    Thaw salmon in refrigerator; season with salt and pepper; pan-sear and serve with vegetables. Customer shared a preparation video and story of convenient weeknight meals.

    From customer Michael

  7. Leftover salmon rice bowl

    Flake chilled, properly stored cooked salmon into freshly cooked rice; season with soy sauce and sesame oil and add green vegetables. Canned salmon or tuna also works.

    From Chef Robert Clark

  8. Quick dry-brine: 10–15 minutes

    Lightly salt fish 10–15 minutes before cooking; leave uncovered in refrigerator and pat dry before searing. Intended to improve seasoning, structure and surface browning.

    From Steven Courtney

  9. Quick wet brine

    Mix 1 tablespoon salt into 4 cups cold water; submerge fish for 10–15 minutes, remove and pat dry.

  10. Zest before; juice after

    Add lemon zest before cooking for aromatic citrus oils; finish with fresh lemon juice after cooking.

    From Steven Courtney

  11. Rice flour for a crisp crust

    Lightly dust fish with rice flour instead of wheat flour before pan-frying for a delicate, crisp coating.

    From Steven Courtney

  12. Finish with butter

    Add a small knob of butter near the end of pan-searing to enrich the flavour and baste the fish.

    From Chef Julian Bond

  13. Three pantry flavour boosters

    Worcestershire sauce for savoury depth; pomegranate molasses for tang; miso paste for sweet-salty umami.

    From Chef Julian Bond

  14. Don’t Be Afraid of the Heat!

    Chef Julian Bond recommends a very hot pan to sear and caramelize fish, developing a beautifully browned exterior and deeper flavour. Avoid overcrowding: too much fish at once lowers the pan temperature, causing the fish to steam instead of sear. Cook in batches and adjust the heat to the fish and cookware.

  15. Keep it simple; flip once

    Pat fish dry, use controlled heat, cook most of the way on one side and flip once. Avoid excessive handling.

    From Chef Vibber

  16. Parchment to prevent sticking

    Chef Bond suggests cooking fish over a piece of cooking parchment in a stainless-steel pan to reduce sticking.

  17. Let residual heat finish the fish

    Remove delicate fish from heat shortly before it would otherwise be fully cooked, allowing carryover heat to finish it without drying it out.

    From Chef Robert Clark

Make tonight

Keta salmon recipes

Steamed Wild Pacific Salmon
Recipe

Steamed Wild Pacific Salmon
Where it came from

From the water to your kitchen

Wild or raised
Wild
Where it comes from
"Harvested in Canada".
Did you know?

Keta salmon are prized by Indigenous communities for their drying quality, a traditional staple of preserved seafood.

Questions

Keta salmon, answered

How is keta different from sockeye?

Milder, leaner and paler. It's a gentle salmon that takes a sauce well.

Is keta the same as chum?

Yes. Keta and chum are two names for the same salmon.

Why did it come out dry?

It is lean. Take it off a moment before it is done and let it rest; the heat in the fish finishes it.

In this guide

Shop this fish

Wild Keta Salmon Portion