Pink Leap of Faith

I am sure you have heard of the Iron Man challenge which is said to have broken the hearts, minds and bodies of many.  But for those of you who have completed Iron Man, the toughest of toughest, I have a new ordeal to test your strength and will.  Imagine yourself on a 100 mile non- stop run without refreshment where at every mile or so you will have to run the wrong way up a London Underground escalator during rush hour and then leap over a 12 foot wall.  And just to make sure that it is testing enough you will be running against a 70 mph wind. Oh I nearly forgot, during the challenge, at regular intervals,  people will be tempting you with food, take a nibble and you will be yanked unceremoniously  from the challenge and man handled in an undignified and painful way in a tank of water where you will not be able to draw breath.        

With this in mind you may get some idea of what a wild salmon goes through in order to spawn:  swim for hundreds of miles up a river, taking on rapids, dams (leaping as high as 12 ft), pollution and fishermen and what is worse by the time they have spawned only about 10% make it back to the sea, the rest die.   Typically salmon are born in fresh water and migrate to the ocean, then a few years later when they are strong and well fed they return to fresh water to spawn.   Folk law would have it that the fish will return to the exact same spot where they were born in order to spawn.  When they start their journey they are fat and fed and at their most delicious ready for the dinner table or for them the ultimate challenge.

Salmon is one of our most versatile foods; it is healthy and tastes delicious when prepared in a number different ways, for example: baked, boiled, barbequed, grilled, poached and smoked. Indeed such is its versatility that it can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner or served as a snack.  The health benefits are plentiful salmon is high in protein, omega 3, and vitamin D.

 The wild salmon’s exploits are impressive but for most of us we have to be content with farmed salmon which is still delicious but does not quite have the pedigree.  None the less when you are eating a splendid salmon dish and washing it down with a rosé perhaps spare a thought for the toughest of the toughest and the real iron man challenge.   For links to salmon recipes go to www.strictlypinkstuff.com