Product Review: Kirkland frozen Atlantic salmon

As is evident from many of my product reviews, I love fish. What’s not to love? (I know,  I know, many people don’t like fish…so, people who don’t like fish…don’t answer my question!) It is nutritious, relatively easy to prepare, and pairs well with a variety of side dishes.

One of my favorite varieties of fish is salmon. However, it can be quite expensive to purchase in the stores (especially during non-summer months) and requires cleaning. Although some types of food preparation don’t bother me, cleaning blood and veins from fish does. Fortunately, Costco (as is almost always does) comes to the rescue with their individually portioned frozen salmon fillets.

These 6-8 oz. salmon portions come in a pack of 7 and, after defrosting them for 20 minutes, can be cooked in a pan, or even in the microwave. I tend to do the latter and, as odd as it sounds (who cooks fish in a microwave???), they turn out absolutely delicious. I really would not know they weren’t fresh or at least prepared in a more sophisticated way. Growing up, my mom made fresh salmon almost every week and, despite the existence of many recipes suggesting a variety of sauces for the salmon (e.g., teriyaki, honey glaze), my family preferred it simply prepared with just a little lemon and dill (nope, not even butter). Therefore, I appreciate the simplicity of these salmon portions and don’t add anything to them. They are slightly salted but the strong taste of pure salmon is the dominant taste. And I love it.

The portion size is perfect for a main course and pairs well with a variety of sides. I tend to eat them with spinach potato pancakes and a salad but they would also go well with rice or potatoes. I imagine that, if chilled after cooking, they would also be a good topping for a salad or flaked into a pasta salad. The pieces are long and pretty thick and flake nicely, due to their soft texture.

If you do go the microwave route, because microwave powers vary, I recommend cooking them a little and then testing it out so that the edges do not get overcooked.

At $24-$26/bag, I used to think that these were too expensive to purchase on a regular basis, but the taste and convenience make it worth it. I now always want to have them in my freezer. For those that keep kosher, they are also kosher certified, which is rare for frozen fish.

Have you tried these salmon portions? How do you think they compare to fresh salmon? Do you “dress them up?”