Wildfish Cannery Archives

Wildfish Cannery Smoked Coho Salmon

I've been sitting on this can of Wildfish Cannery Smoked Coho Salmon for almost three months now. I like to mix things up, and it seemed like time to revisit salmon. It came with my second order from Caputo's, who stocks a nice selection of Wildfish Cannery at good prices. Let's try it.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

C'mon, now. There's room for a little more salmon in there. It's a typical premium smoked salmon packing style. Filets are cut cross-wise into 1" wide strips, smoked, and then coiled up in a small round can.

The aroma is quite smoky, courtesy of natural alderwood smoke. A sip of the can liquid is similarly smoky. There's also a sweet molasses smell to it.

Seasonings include brown sugar, garlic, black pepper and salt. Quite a bit of salt. It's listed as 220 mg. per serving, and the can is two servings. I'd say it tastes like quite a bit more than 440 mg. A very salt-forward profile seems to be common with smoked salmon. And hey, get your own can.

Bland rice has a way of tempering the saltiness, so I was in luck. I poured everything including the can juices out over it.

The texture is firm, but the meat flakes without much effort. The skin, which usually adds a fatty element to the mouth feel wasn't doing all that much here.

Briefly, I had thoughts of what I might embellish this with, but decided to leave well enough alone. I found myself thinking maybe this is too smoky or too salty, but neither stopped me finishing the whole thing

If I were to add something, it would have to bring a sweeter element to help offset the overt smoke and salt. Maybe Fly By Jing Sweet + Spicy.

Main Takeaways

Good natural alderwood smoke
Tastes saltier than advertised
Good price point for premium smoked salmon

Brand: Wildfish Cannery
Description: Smoked Coho Salmon
Species: Alaskan Coho salmon
Country of Origin: USA
Source: FAO67, Northeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/No
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $9

Wildfish Cannery Smoked Sockeye Salmon

DeenLeave a comment

This Wildfish Cannery Smoked Sockeye Salmon was included in a recent haul from Caputo's. I had a temporary tinned fish budget increase, and decided to splurge and get a few of the spendier items.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

The smoky aroma hits you immediately, even before you get the lid completely off. Inside, two fillets are curled up, nestled in snuggly. The color is really remarkable. A sip of the can juice (oil is not listed as an ingredient) is a smoky preview of coming attractions. A nibble of the fish is smoky, salty, savory and mildly sweet. The texture is al dente, as expected with genuinely smoked salmon.

I thought I might be able to pry the fillets out whole from the can, but to no avail. The meat was flaky enough to make them fall apart.

Digging In

I got everything out over some hot rice, and poured the remaining can juices over it all.

The bites with skin added an extra dimension to the texture, softening it somewhat. The smoke, while prominent, didn't overpower or fatigue the palate.

The salt level was up front in the flavor profile. I thought the carton listing it at 330mg. seemed low, until I noted the can is considered two servings. Still, it was not off-putting.

I again found myself dividing the meat into successively smaller pieces, in order to prolong the gustatory experience. Authentically-smoked and well-seasoned salmon can have that effect.

I couldn't resist experimenting, and topped the last couple of bites with some Fly By Jing Original Chili Crisp. In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't put it on the whole thing. There wasn't enough sweetness to mitigate the heat, so it was a bit overpowering.

Main Takeaways

A superior example of tinned smoked salmon.
A premium selection from Wildfish Cannery, although not their most expensive.
While very good, their Smoked Coho Salmon and Habanero Smoked Coho are both very similarly satisfying selections, and can be had for about 20% to 25% less.

Brand: Wildfish Cannery
Description: Smoked Sockeye Salmon
Species: Alaskan Sockeye salmon
Country of Origin: USA
Source: FAO67, Northeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/No
Net Wt: 3.5 oz.
Price Range: $12

Wildfish Cannery Habanero Smoked Coho Salmon

DeenLeave a comment

I've been waiting to crack open this Wildfish Cannery Habanero Smoked Coho Salmon for some time now. I tried a few other cans of various smoked salmon in the interim, and wanted to have a broader frame of reference before trying this more premium offering.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 5/5.

Impressive. From the deep color to the marbling of the fish to the aroma of smoke and the myriad seasonings, just impressive. Extracting a small bite, the flavor and texture are overwhelming in multiple (good) ways: smoky, heat, sweet, savory, salty; the meat al dente from the authentic smoking process. I found it hard to stop picking bites directly from the can. But I wanted to get it out over some rice to get all of that sauce. Here's what's in it:

Wild Alaska Coho salmon, habanero hot sauce (Alaskan bull kelp, fermented peppers, mango puree, water, vinegar, agave, salt, conc. lime juice, garlic, xanthan, rosemary extract, dried habanero pepper), sea salt, brown sugar, garlic, and black pepper.

There is some skin with a thin layer of fat adding to the mouth feel. As I ate more of it, I found the heat to be steady, not at all fatiguing on the palate.

The complexity of the flavor of the sauce was deep and, again, impressive. There's that word again.

The salt, however, was another story. The carton says the contents is two servings, so the total for the can is 840mg. sodium. That's kind of pushing it. Still, it didn't seem untenable, just quite noticeable.

All things considered, there's much to recommend this one.

Main Takeaways

Impressive color, aroma and texture
Steady, balanced habanero heat
Complex flavors from a baker's dozen of ingredients

See it at Amazon. Unfortunately, a little pricier there than elsewhere, but can be had in eaches.

Brand: Wildfish Cannery
Description: Habanero Smoked Coho Salmon
Species: Alaskan Coho salmon
Country of Origin: USA
Source: FAO67, Northeast Pacific
Skin/Bones: Yes/No
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $10