"So they've managed to get the fish into a small pocket, which the last phase, just before they go up this sort of water slide pump system onto the harvest boat," said Stewart Hawthorn, head farmer for Skuna Bay Salmon.
On the boat, the fish are packed in ice within 15 seconds. In terms of environmental impact, Hawthorn says it takes only 1.2 pounds of feed to raise a pound of salmon; underwater cameras ensure they don't overfeed. And the fish are never overcrowded.
"Never more than 1.5 percent of the farm is fish. 98.5% of it is this beautiful, pristine, oceanic water that we've got fed by glaciers from Vancouver Island," Hawthorn said. "And we're really confident that the way we're farming here is having a very small impact on the environment."
Processing goes quickly. But only about 10 percent of the harvest is set aside for the Skuna Bay program, which has nearly 20 quality checks, all done by hand. Belly walls are checked, while fat and blood are cleaned, since those will oxidize first. The Skuna Bay salmon are packed three-to-a-box, filled and covered with pebbled ice, then shipped via truck only, preserving the cold chain, to chefs all over the country.
One of those chefs is Greg Biggers, the Executive Chef at the Hotel Sofitel, which includes the restaurant, Café des Architects. He just returned from a trip to see the farms for himself.
"The percentage of fish-to-water, and how they're keeping them and how they're raising them..These guys had the same attitude, they had the same care and passion for what they were doing as the guy 50 miles from here growing beets," said Biggers.
Biggers breaks down the fish himself, cleaning the fat and trimming them down. He'll either pan-roast a fillet, or better yet, do a brief cold smoke, over bourbon-soaked pecan chips, then carefully slice the salmon into sashimi. He pairs those delicate pieces with an assortment of flavors - yuzu gel; dollops of pink peppercorn goat's milk yogurt; beets, pickled mustard seeds, citrus and micro tatsoi greens for a refreshing appetizer.
"This fish is really fatty. It's really a great sushi fish as well, and so you need something that can cut through that thickness and that fatness that's in the Skuna Bay salmon," he said.
Café des Architectes
Hotel Sofitel
20 E. Chestnut St.
312-324-4000
Skuna Bay Salmon available locally:
312 Chicago
Acadia
Ada Street
Adelle's
Bakersfield
Bistro Bordeaux
Carnivale
The Chicago Club
Embeya
Fifteen
Fulton's on the River
Gibson's Steakhouse-Rush
Gibson's-Oakbrook
Hugo's Frog Bar-Naperville
The Local
Lux Bar
Maya Del Sol
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Nellcote
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Rustica
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Townhouse-Chicago
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Treasure Island Clybourn
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Union League Club
Untitled 111
Waldorf Astoria-Chicago
