Fresh Wild Pacific Northwest Salmon

Hey, I just realized that this blog exists for almost 4 months and I still haven’t given you a single salmon recipe! How could that be?

Salmon are now “in season”. Meaning, they are swimming back to their home here at the local lakes, rivers, streams, and creeks. We went to see them during Issaquah Salmon Days Festival 2008. The salmon were dying while we were dining and having fun. What a life.

The first time I saw the salmon return from their exhausting journey at sea, to swim against the current, spawn in Issaquah Creek, and then die, was about 8 years ago. I thought that salmon have such a tragic life, and what a magnificent fish it is. I vowed to never ever eat salmon again. But they are just too good to say “No” to.

So anyway, it is time for a salmon recipe, and what better recipe to give you than by a local celebrity chef, who appeared on Iron Chef America and won against the legendary and almost invincible Iron Chef Japanese, Masaharu Morimoto? Do you know who I am talking about? Of course, it’s Tom Douglas.

This recipe is adapted from his cookbook Tom's Big Dinners by Tom Douglas

Salmon with sweet fennel butter
Makes 4 servings

1 ½ - 2 lb. salmon fillets, cut to 4 portions
½ stick unsalted butter, softened/room temp.
1 teaspoon fresh fennel fronds (or dill), chopped
½ tablespoon orange juice
½ teaspoon orange zest
½ teaspoon honey
Salt and ground pepper

Reheat broiler and place the oven rack about 7 inches from the heat element (or broil in a toaster oven).
Season salmon with salt, fresh ground black pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on both sides.
Mash all the other ingredients together in a bowl to make the flavored butter.
Cook salmon under the broiler about 7-10 minutes until nicely browned on top.
Serve each fillet with a tablespoon of flavored butter.

Side dishes: I’m considering zucchini pancakes, roasted potatoes with whole grain mustard, and/or roasted fennel. Will see how it goes...

Enjoy your salmon,
Nurit

Tuesday, 8 PM:
I ended up making the Zucchini Pancakes and mustard roasted potatoes for side dishes from the “Barefoot Contessa At Home Everyday Recipes You'Ll Make Over And Over Again” cookbook.

Very delicious!