How to cook a slab 'o coho salmon I caught in Alaska

[weirdichi]

I actually caught a whole salmon, not just half of it.

I wanted to share it with my department, roughly 35 people. I was thinking of making laab with some sticky rice and fresh veggies. Instead of cutting it into portions, I'll just mince the whole thing so everybody can get a taste of it. However, since it's dependent on herbs and spices, I'm afraid the fish taste won't necessarily come through.

Any recipes floating out there I could try?

**edit**
I do not have a grill or plank or other fancy tools. I could possibly bake it in the oven, but that sounds kind of boring.

 

[virtuamike]

Keep it simple. Grill it. On a plank. With butter, salt, pepper, and lemon.

 

[Newbian]

Get some real meat.

Hang it from a tree then shoot the bear the comes for it and cook that up.

 

[Spydermag68]

I use Potlatch rub from Williams-Sonoma cover in sliced lemon rounds and a soaked ceder plank. Place on the grill 350 for about half an hour. If it flakes it is done.

 

[Matthiasa]

Yeah doing a larb you could use just about any type of meat and have it come out tasting almost the same given how heavily herbs and spices are used with it.

If you want to emphasize the taste of the fish just do something simple.

As I am not typically a fan of fish though I would take the larb.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Fillet it and season with old bay and paprika then cook it on a cedar plank. Either that or smoke it.

 

[weirdichi]

Hmm.. may have to invest in a plank then. Maybe I can do half and half and let them all pick at it.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Hmm.. may have to invest in a plank then. Maybe I can do half and half and let them all pick at it.

For a whole salmon you'll probably need to cut it up and you'll need a few planks.

 

[silverpig]

People mess up salmon with all sorts of stupid things. The salmon is basically the best tasting fish there is - no need to mess with it.

I do it similar to the famed alton brown steak method, but I don't flip it. Get a cast iron pan good and hot, add a little bit of very neutral oil, and put the salmon in, skin side down. Add a little salt and pepper, let it sit on the stove for 1 minute, then into the oven at 450F for about 8 minutes.

You can also do it on a grill, but don't turn it up too high (medium is good), make sure you oil the grill well so the skin doesn't stick, and don't overdo it.

The meat is of course amazing, but the best part is the skin. Most people throw it out, and that's a total shame.

The cedar plank makes the skin stay soft and slimy, and it seems a lot of people like to make the salmon taste like overcooked lemons or something by baking it in a sauce or something.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

OP, you got an electric skillet? You could poach the salmon in apple cider. The electric skillet will make it real easy. Here's a basic recipe:

http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/45989

The beauty of the electric skillet is that you can bring your poaching liquid to a boil, drop your fish in and quickly reduce the thermostat to about 145 degrees. The boiling temperatures will kill any surface bacteria, and backing it off to 145 to let it cook will bring the center of the meat to the correct done-ness temperature without risk of overcooking it. You could leave the salmon in the skillet all day, if you wanted.

 

[MaxPayne63]

Planked salmon is the best salmon. Grilled is tolerable.

If your goal is RRRGH WEIRDICHI STRONG WEIRDICHI KILL OWN FOOD then just keep it as simple as possible and if you want an ethnic dish of some sort have it as a side. You want to show off the fish and not the marinade, right? Most people will have a hard enough time telling the difference between frozen/farmed/caught-it-myself without other flavors confusing them.

 

[Tsavo]

People mess up salmon with all sorts of stupid things. The salmon is basically the best tasting fish there is - no need to mess with it.

I do it similar to the famed alton brown steak method, but I don't flip it. Get a cast iron pan good and hot, add a little bit of very neutral oil, and put the salmon in, skin side down. Add a little salt and pepper, let it sit on the stove for 1 minute, then into the oven at 450F for about 8 minutes.

You can also do it on a grill, but don't turn it up too high (medium is good), make sure you oil the grill well so the skin doesn't stick, and don't overdo it.

The meat is of course amazing, but the best part is the skin. Most people throw it out, and that's a total shame.

The cedar plank makes the skin stay soft and slimy, and it seems a lot of people like to make the salmon taste like overcooked lemons or something by baking it in a sauce or something.

This.

I grew up in AK and cooked lots of salmon. There really isn't a better way to cook it than this.

Also, I make a sauce that uses mayo, chopped onion, lemon juice and dill as a topping or a side dip. Amazing.

 

[Colt45]

Where is this plank bullshit coming from?


I like a bit of dill with it. I usually fry it, skin down so it gets delicious.

 

[Broheim]

 

[herm0016]

cast iron pan. dust with flour, salt pepper. use butter and a high smoke point oil in your pan. skin side down till it is cooked about half way through, then flip. cook till just cooked through, and you have nice color on the top. take the fish out and let rest, covered. add capers, butter to pan and fry up capers for aprox. 1 min. add juice of 1 to 1.5 lemons and cook for 1 more miniute. pour sauce over fish. enjoy.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Hmm.. may have to invest in a plank then. Maybe I can do half and half and let them all pick at it.

A plank isn't an investment. It is a one use and throw it away item.

Make sure you soak it for at least an hour prior to use or your fish will go up in flames.

And, for the love of god, don't get construction grade planks, those are treated and you'll ruin whatever you cook. Go to the BBQ section of your local Home Depot or Lowes, they usually have a 2 pack of thin cedar planks specifically for this purpose.

What I love about cooking salmon in this manner is that you don't need butter or oil. Just season with a light bit of Old Bay and some paprika. Make sure to let the plank get nice and hot for a few minutes on the grill before you put the salmon on. Cook with the lid closed for about 10-12 minutes over medium heat depending on thickness (thicker will take longer). Don't overcook it! And watch for the edges of the plank to start burning.

 

[Fritzo]

cast iron pan. dust with flour, salt pepper. use butter and a high smoke point oil in your pan. skin side down till it is cooked about half way through, then flip. cook till just cooked through, and you have nice color on the top. take the fish out and let rest, covered. add capers, butter to pan and fry up capers for aprox. 1 min. add juice of 1 to 1.5 lemons and cook for 1 more miniute. pour sauce over fish. enjoy.

This is salmon...and high quality salmon at that. I wouldn't put any kind of breading on it.

As others have said, salmon is actually straightforward: oil it, coarse salt, pepper, and lemon thyme or dill on top, fry or grill it skin side down until the meat starts to get flaky, then flip it over to finish it off. It's best when the skin gets a bit crispy because it melts away the fishy gray fat located underneath. Add a dollop of lemon butter when it comes off the grill and let it sit for a few minutes before serving.

I envy you That's some prime eatin' you got there!

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Where is this plank bullshit coming from?

The Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest. We knows how to cooks us some salmons up here.

 

[darkewaffle]

My dad bakes salmon all the time; you can basically bake it the same way you grill it if you want (little bit of lemon, little bit of seasoning) , or you can dress it up. He really likes this one recipe where he puts a chipotle sauce (of some sort) on it and then covers that with some bread crumbs or something like that; though it is one of my least favorite ways to have it. But oven is fine if it's all that's available.

fishy gray fat

That's one of the good parts

 

[Fritzo]

Where is this plank bullshit coming from?


I like a bit of dill with it. I usually fry it, skin down so it gets delicious.

It's a valid method for grilling. You put the fish on a wet cedar or hickory plank when grilling to add a nice smoking flavor + it keeps it from sticking to the grates. The planks are kind of expensive though so I don't do it too often.

 

[silverpig]

The Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest. We knows how to cooks us some salmons up here.

That's true, but I'll let the first nations guys do all the smoking and canning of salmon - I'll sear the skin side myself.

I grew up in Vancouver and worked with some native guys who fished a lot. They didn't do the cedar plank thing, but they did do it on the grill and said to rub some mayonnaise on the fish first.

Oh, also I've had salmon fish and chips - fantastic stuff.

 

[tenthumbs]

Regardless of how you cook it, just make sure it's not overcooked. All the seasonings and tips you're getting from this thread are meaningless if the salmon is dry.

 

[JulesMaximus]

It's a valid method for grilling. You put the fish on a wet cedar or hickory plank when grilling to add a nice smoking flavor + it keeps it from sticking to the grates. The planks are kind of expensive though so I don't do it too often.

:thumbsup: I don't either. Most times I just cook salmon in the oven on a sheet of aluminum foil with a little butter to keep it from sticking. Of course, with the skin down you don't even need to worry about keeping it from sticking. It will just slide off the skin once it is cooked anyway.

I buy them butterfly filleted though usually.

 

[sushiwarrior]

Ramsay has an excellent video on cooking crispy salmon. This is how I always cook mine and it turns out GREAT!

 

[JoLLyRoGer]

OK, you want something amazing.. and amazingly simple.. I'm no Gordon Ramsay but I love to cook and experiment in the kitchen.. I try to do something a little on the "gourmet" side at least once a week and this one is a go-to winner. Check it out.

1. Take some white wine, butter, and OJ..
About 1/4 stick of butter and a Cup of White and 2 Cups OJ...

2. In a skillet, melt the butter, add the wine and OJ and bring it to a simmer.

3. Add the salmon, season with a pinch of salt and some fresh ground pepper and cover the skillet with a lid. Poach the salmon for 5-8 minutes or until it's white-ish/opaque... (Larger planks will take more time.)

4. One the fish is cooked, remove from wine/OJ and uncover the skillet. Continue to simmer the wine and OJ until it is reduced by about 1/3 or until it starts to thicken just enough to make a nice sauce.

5. Drizzle sauce over the salmon and serve.

The acidity of the orange/wine sauce will really highlight the salmon's natural flavor yet keep it light tasting. I promise you this recipe will blow your mind and it's so simple!

Rice pilaf and grilled asparagus make great sides for this dish and you can optionally garnish the fish with some parsley or lemon grass to enhance the presentation.
(Optionally with the asparagus, you can group them into 3's, wrap them with a strip of bacon around the middle and pin with a toothpick and grill them that way too.. it's excellent!)

Boys, go home and cook this for your ladies tonight... Guarantee you'll get laid.