There are three things that us Pacific Northwesterners have in our DNA: coffee, micro-brewed beer and salmon. Just before the Copper River Salmon season starts we’re like junkies in need of a fix. As soon as this beautiful salmon is available we race to our favorite fish monger, reach deep into our pockets, and shell out the big bucks for this delicious fish.

Ahhhh….

This variety of salmon originates from the Copper River in Alaska, a nearly 300 mile long wildly rapid river that dumps into Prince William Sound. The long and chilly river make it an Iron Man Race for the fish that grow into robust creatures with high levels of body fat and natural oils. The result of their physical effort: one of the richest and tastiest fish in the world. Its beautiful red color and firm flesh make this a must-eat at least twice (if not three times) a week in our household. The freezer is also stocked full of it!

Last night we gave the fillets a simple seasoning of salt and pepper, then grilled them for a brief time on both sides, keeping the centers nice and medium-rare. Barnaby whipped up a healthy version of a béarnaise sauce using olive oil instead of butter (gasp from the French!) and we placed it all on top of fresh linguine. With truffle oil drizzled over grilled asparagus and a butter lettuce salad on the side, we were in Copper River Salmon business.

Click below for a classic béarnaise sauce, but don’t be afraid to make it more heart healthy by substituting olive oil.

More photos of Copper River Salmon found here:

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This year several U.S. states and Canada suspended salmon fishing and are having major trade talks over fishing quotas. There is generally a wild salmon crisis in the Pacific Northwest, the world’s richest salmon fishery. For more, read the Seattle PI story: “U.S., Canada agree to cuts in 2 major salmon fisheries: Pact hopes to end tailspin of wild Puget Sound chinook.”

So where does that leave the consumer? I don’t know about you, but I feel torn over which salmon to eat, if any at all. I absolutely LOVE cooking and eating salmon and doctors tell us that we should have it in our diets. But, the wild salmon are facing extinction in some areas and are seriously overfished in most. Then we have farmed salmon, which is the subject of much debate, both from health and environmental perspectives.

I have yet to figure out what’s best, but one thing I do know is that if you do eat salmon, you should treat it as a precious resource and really enjoy it! This brings me to my cooking tip for today. I love grilled salmon steaks, but hate dealing with the bones. Some years ago a salmon fisherman taught me a super-easy trick to make boneless salmon steaks out of fillets….it’s so good it almost seems like magic.

I’ve demonstrated with a series of photos below, but the basic approach is as follows:

• Use salmon fillet with skin on
• Slice off a piece 3-5 inches long
• Slice the center of the flesh side down to the skin, being careful not to cut the skin
• Fold in half, the skin will create a hinge and stick to itself creating an “inside-out steak”
• Season and grill as you would a normal salmon steak.

If you like thicker steaks, cut a longer piece…for thinner cut shorter. One of the best things about this preparation is that meat stays more moist…overcooked salmon is a real waste of this resrource! See the slideshow below for the steps I took doing the above, starting with a whole Copper River salmon. Give it a try, I’m sure you’ll enjoy!

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