Dinner tonight consisted of my fresh filet of Copper River salmon. For those that don’t understand, the salmon of the Copper River of Alaska are known as some of the world’s best. Dark red, delicate in flavor, and melts in your mouth. For a few weeks about this time of year, Copper River salmon is available in the Seattle area. This morning I ventured out to find me my piece of salmon. I struck paydirt at my first stop and it was of all places, a Safeway. The meat cutter had just arrived and found 7 fresh still on ice (and not frozen) Copper River salmon, they were caught just last Thursday.
There were a few filets and a half of fish left from the day before but I decided to wait. About half an hour later the meat cutter came out with the 7 fish, 2 were wrapped whole, 3 were sold as half a fish and the last 2 were sold as filets. By then their were 5 others besides me waiting. John, the meat cutter told everyone I was there first and got first choice. Because it was just going to be me and my wife for dinner and she does not eat salmon, I bought one of the filets.
The filet itself was about 2 pounds and I knew I could eat it all. I cut it in half and vacuum sealed it for later. I seasoned the other piece lightly with Johnny’s Seafood Seasoning and some fresh ground pepper. It was place on the upper rack of my gas grill and some dried apple wood was added to the fire for some smoke. 25 minutes later I checked the fish and it was done.
My wife made some baked potatoes and fresh carrots to go with my fish (she had a beef patty for her dinner). A Redhook ESB brew was my beverage of choice. Light, flaky, and oh so good. I ate most of the fish, leaving a few pieces for the cats. The beer went perfect choice to go with the salmon. Life is good after an almost perfect meal.
My Parental Units used to live in Alaska… I’m sure they could tell me stories of Copper River salmon. Mom said that one of the hardest adjustments to living in SoCal was buying fish. In Alaska during the 70s, if you wanted good fish, you went fishing! Or took some of the bounty from your last fishing trip out of the deep freeze.
Someday I’m going to visit my roots and eat Real Good Salmon. Until then, I’ll have to be satisfied with SoCal fish. Mahi (for Mom and Quantum Sister) and thresher shark (for me and Dad), marinated in lime and cilantro, grilled by Dad the Grillmeister… mmm! Prolly not as divine as Copper River salmon, but good eats nonetheless.
Not just the Seattle area, but Byerly’s in Minneapolis (a somewhat upscale grocery) has Copper River salmon available, not frozen, for a remarkable $15/lb. I admit I was tempted, sorely sorely tempted, but decided to get the more pedestrian Norwegian.
Still, though, you may have talked me into going back …
The one time I had Copper River salmon it was in, of all places, the Disneyworld resort in Florida. The Artist Point restaurant in the Wilderness Lodge has a Northwest Pacific theme and was featuring Copper River salmon the week I ate there.
We occasionally get it fresh at specialty places here in Denver, never Safeway,and it is indeed superb. I think the only flavor I’ve had that rivals it was wild salmon I tasted in Scotland.
I used to go in early so I could head down to the Kenai or the Russian after work, catch a couple of freshies and take them back home to the grill. Any extra I’d do a 2 for 1 trade for with a guy from work who’d smoke them for me.
Damn, I did love Alaska dearly and it twern’t just for the fish.