It’s salmon season—Yep! May 22 marked the official opening of Copper River with a mere 12-hour opener for sockeye (aka red) and Chinook (aka king) at the famous river near Cordova, Alaska.
So, what does that mean for you? Well, one the “catch” will help dictate cost in restaurants and markets throughout the country and chefs, food writers and even your next-door neighbor, all start sharing their thoughts on what makes a great recipe for grilling (or baking, poaching, broiling) salmon. I can just hear people swapping ideas they found on Pinterest or in a food-centered magazine. But, when it comes to cooking fresh salmon like the salmon from Alaska’s pristine Prince William Sound and the Copper River, there’s no need to search the internet for recipes. Just keep it simple and either grill or bake with a touch of lemon, salt and pepper, and maybe some garlic.
Of course there are other ways to cook salmon … ones that lend distinctive flavors that quite possibly might require the licking of one’s plate when finished. Or at the very least, using a crusty piece of bread to soak up the remaining “sauce.” But hey, if you want to lick your plate, you go right ahead—I’m not here to judge ; )
And speaking of those lick-your-plate-worthy recipes, I’ll be posting some of my all-time favorites over the next few weeks … everything from bourbon and maple-glazed salmon to blueberry balsamic salmon, along with some commentary regarding wild-caught vs farm-raised and is it OK to eat salmon skin. So, stay tuned!! More to come next week. Until then, here’s the absolute best way to cook salmon at home especially if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on a fresh catch from the Copper.
Grilled Salmon (or any fish)
- Make a tinfoil “boat” by folding edges up on all four sides. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be a seaworthy boat, it just needs to keep its shape while perched on your counter and your grill.
- Put a few slices of butter, lemon and a little white wine in the “boat.” Place you fish, skin-side down, on top of the butter and wine. IF YOU WANT you can add a few fresh herbs but it’s entirely up to you. If I have them, I add them, if I don’t … right, you guessed it, I don’t.
- Transport your vessel (I’m loaded with puns today) to the grill and cook, lid closed, over medium heat for 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of your filet. As a general rule of thumb, 7-8 minutes per 1-inch thickness will give you a medium-well finish. Note, DO NOT flip your fish … I mean you can, but why bother when you don’t need to?? Simplicity peeps … that’s what we’re aiming for.
Baked Salmon (or any fish)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom of oven-safe dish and place salmon skin-side down. Sprinkle with seasoning or, again, keep it simple and just use lemon, garlic, and a little fresh dill. Place butter pads evenly over fish and interspersed lemon slices. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet. Done!
About the Copper River
Alaska’s Prince William Sound is home to the Copper River—a glacial-fed river with a nearly 35-mile-wide gorge where the river dumps over 500,000 cubic feet of water per second into the Gulf of Alaska, and where thousands of young salmon leave their birthplace in the Copper to feed at sea for the next few years. Then, some two to seven years later, the now-adult salmon leave the Gulf to make their 300-mile-long journey home to spawn—an arduous task fueled by their high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, an inimitable trait that makes salmon, especially those from the Copper River, one of the most coveted of all seafoods, worldwide.
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