Copper River Salmon is here!! - Spring 2009

The arrival of salmon caught on the Copper River in Alaska is a huge event in Seattle as grocery stores and restaurants vie for the bragging rights of being the first to offer these amazing fish. The Copper River is a wild rushing river almost 300 miles in length. Salmon that originate in this river must fight hard to make their way back to their spawning grounds. As a result they are strong and robust fish with a healthy store of oils and body fat. These qualities make them some of the best tasting salmon on the planet. The meat is a deep red and there is an amazing amount of fat stored between the skin and the flesh. Never skin a Copper River salmon before you cook it! At the beginning of the season the fish can cost over $25/lb. But as the season lengthens the prices come down. Our first taste of this year’s fish came compliments of Costco. We bought a whole fillet and I broiled it with a glaze of compound butter flavored with tarragon, chives and parsley from my herb garden. A bit of salt, pepper and lemon juice was all that was needed.

This week Fred Meyer was selling whole Copper River sockeye for a really good price so I swooped in and bought a whole fish. This is what to do with it. Fillet the fish, make stock from the bones, smoke one fillet and make steamed Moroccan-style salmon with the other . Combine the leftovers from that dish with the stock to make the best salmon chowder you will likely ever have!

You can serve your salmon with fresh Eastern Washington asparagus. Asparagus begins to make an appearance in Washington grocery stores mid to late March, just in time for Easter. These spears come to us from California. In early April we begin to see asparagus arriving from Eastern Washington. I love asparagus but I insist on waiting for the Washington crop before I begin to buy. Washington State produces 40% of the asparagus grown in the US. In years past 60% of the asparagus grown in Washington was processed. However, in the early 1990’s the US began to subsidize an asparagus industry in Peru. Consequently all of the asparagus processing plants in Washington left. It is a huge threat to the Washington asparagus-growing industry, which is why I insist on supporting them by only buying locally grown spears.

My favorite way to serve asparagus is lightly steamed and simply dressed with butter, salt and pepper. A chopped hard-cooked egg is an added treat. Occasionally I use an aioli dressing and a bit of Prosciutto fried crisp. Once a year I make a creamy asparagus soup that I stash in the freezer and bring out over the Christmas holidays. It is a wonderful hit of spring that counters the damp gray days of a Seattle winter.

Archives

Seasonal Recipes

Spring

• Asian Shrimp Dip
• Broccoli Rabe and Beans
• Curried Shrimp Dip
• Easter Lamb Stew with Eggs, Lemon and Parmesan Cheese
• Pan-fried Clams
• Oven-Baked Corned Beef
• Pan-Roasted Halibut with Prosciutto, Lemon, White Wine, and Capers
• Pappardelle with Ricotta
• Reuben Sandwiches
• Salmon Chowder
• Steamed Clams
• Steamed Moroccan-style Salmon
• Stuffed Clams

Summer

• Crab Bisque
• Creamed Fresh Corn Soup
• Chocolate Raspberry Bread Pudding
• Danish Cucumber Salad (Pressgurka)
• Linguine with Crab
• My Very Crabby Crabcakes
• Native Blackberry Vinaigrette
• Pesto alla Genovese
• Pickled Garlic Zucchini Coins
• Roasted Garlic Soup
• Stuffed Zucchini
• Whole Crab Poached in Sea Water

Fall

• Curried Squash and Coconut Soup
• Green Tomato Soup
• Poblano Peppers Stuffed With Goat Cheese
• Roasted Tomatoes for Soup or Sauce
• Roasted Tomato Soup
• Tomato, Goat Cheese, and Onion Tart
• Wild Rice and Chanterelle Soup

Winter

• Baked Stuffed Artichokes
• Hot Artichoke Dip
• Kim Chee Stew
• Meyer Lemon Sauce
• My Grammy's Stuffed Artichokes
• Oyster Pot Pie
• Spicy Ribbon-Cut Noodle Soup
• Teriyaki Broiled Oysters