May 28, 2008

Fish and Fire

 A Northwest Barbecue Tradition
Cooking on cedar planks originated with the indigenous native Americans in the Pacific Northwest. These natives have long been praised for the technique of roasting fish on aromatic cedar planks.  This grilling method easily imparts a tantalizing smoky flavor to wild King Salmon. The following cooking instructions were adapted from the classic recipe passed down through generations.

Cedar Planked Salmon.

Recipe for Cedar Salmon you can try at home!

Brine (Enough for 10 portions)
Water (1 Quart)

Soy (1/4 Cups)
Sake (1 cup)
Soak salmon filets in brine solution, skin side up for 1-2 hours

Plank Cooking Instructions
Soak planks 2-4 hours in water to add moisture to the wood which helps resist burning and when the water converts to steam, the steam cooks the fish and imparts a smoky, cedar flavor to the delicate salmon.
Barbecue temperature should be 400 degrees

Place plank on grill until it starts to warp and crackle.  Flip over and when plank starts to crackle, place salmon on plank with skin down..  Cook for 7-10 minutes depending on barbecue temperature.  If plank starts to burn, extinguish with a spray bottle of water and move to a cooler part of grill.  Finish in salamander.  Serve on wood plank.  

Ruby Red Grapefruit & Valencia Orange Beurre Blanc
Sections of Ruby Red Grapefruit and Valencia Orange with interior membrane (section skin) removed

Olive oil

Salt

Butter & flour

Heat butter (4 tbsp) and add flour (1 tbsp) to make a roux, stirring constantly

In separate pan lightly saute ornage and grapefruit sections in olive oil, add shallots and combine with roux.  Serve on side of

Combine all ingredients in bowl.  Serve a dollop on top of fish with a fresh mint sprig

A great Salad to Start..

Baby Field Greens Vinaigrette with Gorgonzola, Pears and Candied Walnuts

Serves 6

Baby Lettuce Mix (3/4 lb.)
Available at any Gourmet market

Crumbled Gorgonzola or Blue Cheese (3 oz)
Candied Walnuts (3 oz.) Chopped
Fresh Bosc Pear, Cored and chopped in 1/2 inch chunks
(Substitute Gala, Fiji apple or other crispy crunchy fruit as you desire)

Italian Dressing (Store bought or make your own with olive oil, raspberry vinegar, salt, pepper, fresh herbs, lemon juice)
3 oz.

Combine ingredients and toss to evenly coat lettuce.  Finish with fresh ground pepper and serve on chilled salad plate with cold fork.

To candy walnuts, saute 3 oz walnuts with 2 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup sugar.  Be careful not to "burn" the sugar.    Chop after cooling.

There are five varieties of Pacific Salmon (They are not anadramous like their Atlantic counterpart) .  These are the Chinook (KING), Sockeye (Blueback or Red), Coho (Silvers), Chum (Dog Salmon)  and Pink (Humpy or Humpback)

The chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) is Alaska's state fish and is one of the most important sport and commercial fish native to the Pacific coast of North America. It is the largest of all Pacific salmon, with weights of individual fish commonly exceeding 30 pounds. A 126-pound chinook salmon taken in a fish trap near Petersburg, Alaska in 1949 is the largest on record. The largest sport-caught chinook salmon was a 97-pound fish taken in the Kenai River in 1986.
Chinook salmon make extensive freshwater spawning migrations to reach their home streams on  Alaskas rivers . Spawners bound for the extreme headwaters , will travel more than 2,000 river miles during a 60-day period. Chinook salmon do not feed during the freshwater spawning migration, so their condition deteriorates gradually during the spawning run as they use stored body materials for energy .
Alaska King Salmon are caught in HIGHLY regulated numbers.  These fish are caught under the supervision of Fish & Game wardens at the mouth of rivers in the  Gulf of Alaska.  The fish are at the very outset of their spawning journey and are at their absolute peak of Omega 3 Oil content.
Wild King Salmon is the best you can buy because it is
1.) Wild-Eats a diet that is rich and varied.
2.)  The meat quality and flavor is the most balanced and has the best texture of all the salmon varieties
3.) It is at its highest nutritional content rich in nutrients and Omega 3
4.) It is purchased directly from Alaska Fisherman that have an interest in the continued health and continuance of this amazing resource and it supports their families.