Tender Salmon a Healthy Meal

I recently visited Seattle, a city that always surprises me with its green beauty and sparkle of water everywhere.

The presence of so much water – the Pacific, Puget Sound and numerous lakes – makes fish a prominent item on many restaurant menus. I had halibut tacos one night that were fine, but the most prominent fish is salmon.

Before the Europeans came, salmon was so plentiful in the Pacific Northwest that it was a staple food of tribal people. The short spring season for harvesting returning salmon meant that most of the salmon was air dried, so its bounty would last until the next harvest.

Habitat degradation, over-fishing and other pressures have reduced wild salmon  in recent decades. Lately, Northwest tribes, guaranteed the use of the fisheries by 19th-century treaties, have joined state and local agencies in restoring these resources. The efforts seem to be working, and the numbers of wild salmon are rising.

Aquaculture, or raising salmon in captivity, has produced additional commercial supplies, but salmon farming creates issues and dangers of its own.

During my visit I was able to try three different kinds of wild salmon in one meal. Ivar’s Salmon House, a landmark restaurant inside a replica cedar longhouse, offered a sampler of king, sockey and coho salmon.

The king salmon was so tender that it almost literally melted in my mouth. It also seemed the most moist of the three. The sockeye was the reddest, and a waitress later told me it is highest in the nutritious omega 3 fatty acids. The leanest was the coho, which had a texture almost like tender beefsteak. It also had the mildest flavor.

Wild salmon is available locally – current weekly special flyers for local markets show prices from $3.99 to $10.95 per pound. It is also available on the Internet; just type “buy salmon” into your search window.

So, once you have some wild salmon in hand, what do you do with it?

First of all, you can salt and pepper it lightly, place it over a bed of medium coals, and grill until the fish is not quite opaque; it will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat. Sprinkle with chopped fresh dill and serve with lemon wedges, steamed vegetables and small potatoes and crusty French or Italian bread.

Or, for a slightly more elaborate preparation, here is an idea from “Everyday Food”:

Roasted Salmon with Lemon Relish

Serves 4

The relish would also be good on roast chicken or pork, or even as a topping for steamed broccoli.

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup raisins

Slivered zest and juice of 1 lemon

4 skinless salmon fillets (6 ounces each)

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons olive oil

5 ounces baby spinach (about 5 cups, loosely packed)

Step 1: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spread pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven, tossing occasionally, until lightly golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from sheet, and reserve.

Step 2: Meanwhile, place raisins and lemon zest in a small bowl; cover with boiling water. Set aside.

Step 3: Place salmon fillets on the baking sheet used in step 1; season with salt and pepper. Roast until salmon is opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes.

Step 4: Meanwhile, drain and discard liquid from raisins and lemon zest. Return raisins and zest to bowl; add lemon juice, pine nuts, parsley and oil. Season with salt and pepper; stir to combine.

Step 5: Dividing evenly, make a bed of spinach on each of four plates, place salmon fillet on spinach; spoon lemon relish over the top.

Note: Before you juice the lemon, use a vegetable peeler to peel the yellow part of the skin into long strips (leaving the white pith behind). Then thinly slice into slivers.

Wild Salmon with Pearl Couscous, Slow-Roasted Tomatoes and Lemon Oregano Oil

Serves 6

For tomatoes and lemon oregano oil:

6 plum tomatoes (1 pound), halved lengthwise

1 1/4 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

10 fresh basil leaves

12 whole fresh oregano leaves plus 3 tablespoons finely chopped

2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest, removed in strips with a vegetable peeler and finely minced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For couscous

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 1/4 cups pearl (Israeli) couscous (12 oz)

1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (14 fl oz)

1 cup water

1/4 teaspoon  salt

For salmon

6 (6-ounce) pieces wild salmon fillet with skin (preferably center cut)

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup Kalamata olives (3 ounces), pitted and quartered lengthwise

Roast tomatoes and prepare oil:

Step 1: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Step 2: Toss tomatoes with sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and arrange, cut sides down, in a small shallow baking pan. Heat oil in a 9- to 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook garlic, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in basil and whole oregano leaves, then pour oil over tomatoes. Roast tomatoes until very tender but not falling apart, 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours.

Step 3: Transfer tomatoes with a spatula to a large plate, then pour oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl or measuring cup, discarding solids.

Step 4: Stir in chopped oregano, zest, juice and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.

(Tomatoes can be roasted three days ahead and chilled in oil in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.)

Cook couscous:

Step 1: Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then toast couscous, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and pale golden, 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 2: Add broth, water and salt, and simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed and couscous is al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes, then stir in 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon oregano oil. Season with salt.

Roast salmon while couscous stands:

Step 1: Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Line a 17-by 12-inch shallow baking pan with foil.

Step 2: Arrange salmon, skin sides down, in baking pan, then drizzle with olive oil, rubbing it over tops of fillets, and sprinkle with salt. Roast salmon until just cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes.

Step 3: Divide couscous among six plates. Lift salmon flesh from skin with a slotted spatula, and transfer a fillet to each bed of couscous. Put two tomato halves on each plate, then sprinkle salmon with olives and drizzle with some lemon oregano oil.