The King is here!
It's mid-May and the small town of Cordova, Alaska
is buzzing. You see, this is the
launching point for many of the areas commercial fisherman in search of the
lucrative Copper River King Salmon. The opening of the season was on May 15th
and the first commercial fishing session was limited to 12 hours. Needless to
say, fishing was less than spectacular. However, conditions have improved and
we are starting to see more and more Kings make their way to fine restaurants
and retailers.
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| Cordova, Alaska |
 |
| Copper River |
Copper
River is a world renown fishery. It's treasure being King and Sockeye
salmon. These are some of the first
wild river fish caught and if you ever had the pleasure, you can definitely
taste the difference. Here's why, the fish are returning to the river where
their life began, only to spawn and start the circle of life again. The
laborious journey requires great strength. Prior to making the trip, the salmon
go on an intense feeding frenzy. As a result, the fat content in the fish is
tremendously high. And.....fat means
flavor!
That
being said, my preference in preparing Copper River
Kings is to keep it simple.
The fish has such a wonderful flavor, it would be a crime to cover it up. One
of my favorites is Cedar Planked Salmon. It's very easy to cook and the
smokiness from the cedar plank is a wonderful addition to the flavor of the
salmon. Cedar planks can be found in various cooking stores or on line. Here's
my recipe for Cedar Planked Salmon. Get some King salmon while you can, the
season doesn't last very long!
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| King Salmon |
Ciao,
Chef Joe
Cedar Planked Salmon
Serves 2
2 ea. King
Salmon portions, skin off, 6-7 oz. each
1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/8 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper
1/2 cup Tarragon Mustard Butter (recipe follows)
1 ea. Small
Zucchini, cut into 1/2" planks
1 ea. Small
Yellow Squash, cut into 1/2" planks
6 ea. New
Potatoes, quartered
2 ea. Cedar
Planks, soaked in cold water for a minimum of 2 hours
As needed Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Kosher Salt, Ground Black
Pepper
1)
Prepare your charcoal grill with medium high hot coals
2)
Lightly rub the salmon portions with olive oil and season
both sides with the first quantity of salt and ground black pepper. Reserve
3)
Place the new potatoes in a small mixing bowl. Sprinkle
with olive oil kosher salt, black pepper and fresh thyme leaves. Toss well and arrange on the outer edges of the heat grill.
4)
Place the seasoned salmon on the cedar planks and place the
planks in the center of the grill.
5)
Place the squash and zucchini in the mixing bowl used the
season the potatoes. As like the potatoes, toss with olive oil, salt, black
pepper and thyme. Arrange the vegetables on the grill around the Salmon.
6)
Brush the salmon with the softened tarragon Mustard butter.
Turn the vegetables and potatoes over, close the lid of the grill and cook
(with vents half open) for 6 minutes. Open the lid of the grill, baste the
salmon again and cook until the fish is firm to the touch, approx. 3-4 minutes.
7)
Arrange the vegetables and potatoes around the edge of two
dinner plates. Place one Cedar plank salmon on each plate and brush one final
time with the butter.
Tarragon Mustard Butter
1 stick Unsalted
Butter, softened at room temperature
1/4 tsp. Kosher
Salt
Pinch Ground
Black Pepper
2 Tbl. Dijon
Mustard
1 Tbl. Fresh
Tarragon Leaves, rough chopped
Combine all ingredient in a small mixing bowl and blend
well.
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