What comes to mind first when you think of food that represents the Northwest?
It's no contest for me. I think of salmon.
Salmon is part of my personal history. When I lived in Alaska in my younger years, I spent time working on a salmon fishing tender, and then a gill-netter. For fun, I sometimes helped spot salmon from a small plane. For a long time, I worked in the office of a large seafood processor. Later I brokered sales of commercial salmon fishing permits and boats, and even large processing ships.
These remarkable fish have been a big focus in my life, and I find them fascinating.
Five species of salmon are commonly caught in Northwest waters: king (or chinook) salmon, which are the largest; sockeye (or red) salmon; coho (or silver) salmon; pink salmon (the most plentiful); and chum (or dog) salmon.
The quality is best if the salmon are caught in the ocean rather than near a freshwater stream, where they run to spawn. The skins of ocean-caught fish will be brighter, and the flesh will be firmer.
All species are good to eat, but my personal favorite is sockeye. The flesh is firm, the red color is lovely, the flavor is classic salmon, and they are spectacularly delicious.
Wild-caught salmon are also much higher quality than farmed salmon, in my opinion. Wild fish tend to be leaner, and they are healthier to eat (higher Omega 3 uptake, for example).
The high density of fish in restricted, farmed-containment areas can create serious problems. Farmed fish are not able to move around normally and are fed manmade protein pellets. The situation is comparable in many ways to factory-farmed chickens that live their life in cages, or to cattle raised in crowded, unhealthy feedlots. Disease can spread quickly and easily in such close quarters, and can even threaten wild fish nearby.
Don't get me started about the hazardous chemicals likely to be found in the flesh of farmed fish. Sadly, not even wild fish are chemical-free, because of ocean pollution, but studies have shown that farmed fish contain as much as 10 times the cancer-causing chemicals as wild fish.
An enormous percentage of salmon on the market in the U.S. (and the world) comes from fish farms. Estimates I found ranged from 80 to 90 percent. Even salmon labeled "wild" may have spent half of its life in a crowded hatchery before being released. It's important to buy carefully.
Fortunately, here in Whatcom County we have access to some of the finest wild salmon in the world. The reef-net method of fishing, practiced in Legoe Bay, just off the shore of Lummi Island, produces extremely high-quality salmon and is one of the most sustainable salmon fishing techniques ever used. It's an ancient method created by American Indians hundreds of years ago that allows for selectively catching only salmon. Unwanted species can be safely released.
Reef-net fish are sold here under the label of Lummi Island Wild, a co-op of local fishermen. I spoke to Riley Starks, a Lummi Island resident and a partner in reef-net gear and the co-op business.
Regarding the prospects for Lummi Island Wild, Riley said, "We have managed to create a good solid market for pinks, by relentlessly marketing them to food service. Microsoft, Bon Appétit, Google and lots of other high-profile campuses have huge, blown-up photos of reef-netters catching fish. We are boarded onto the slow food ark of taste. Our future looks good!"
For more information about reef-netting, see lummiislandwild.com.
Lummi Island Wild sells reef-net salmon through a few local stores, such as The Market at Lakeway and at Haggens. It's also available to members of Acme Farms + Kitchen.
When Lummi Island Wild runs low on reef-net sockeyes, they sometimes sell Fraser River sockeyes, or sockeyes caught off the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Those are also excellent-quality wild fish, but be sure to check the labels, or ask if you want to know for sure which you are getting.
Sockeye salmon have a sturdy flavor and so needs little in the way of preparation. In fact, some would say it is best eaten raw (first ensuring it is sushi quality, of course). I prefer to simply sauté sockeye fillets in butter - no herbs and no sauce. At most, I might sprinkle on a little lemon juice after the fish is fully cooked.
One common technique for telling if fish is done is testing for firmness. Sockeye is a naturally firm-fleshed fish, though, so it's a little harder to tell when it's done. I wait until I start to see the edges just starting to flake. Then I peek between flakes in the thickest part of a fillet and look at the center. When done, the flesh will be opaque. When overdone, it will be dry and flake too easily.
SAUTÉED SOCKEYE SALMON FILLETS
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter (Breckinridge Farm, Everson)
2 8-ounces sockeye salmon fillets (Lummi Island Wild, Lummi Island)
Directions
Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until the pan is very hot, but before the butter begins to brown. You'll want the salmon to sizzle when you put it in the pan.
Place the fillets into the hot pan, skin-side down. Cook until skin is well-browned and crispy, and the fish is half done, about 5-8 minutes. Move the fillets occasionally to prevent the skin from sticking to the pan.
Turn the fillets over and cook another 5-8 minutes until the salmon is done. It should just barely be starting to flake on the edges.
Serves 2.
LOCAVORE RESOURCES
You'll find Whatcom County foods at these stores and farms. Many outlets have seasonal hours. We recommend you call or check websites for current hours.
Acme Farms + Kitchen
Appel Farms Cheese Shoppe, 6605 Northwest Road, Ferndale; 360-384-4996; appel-farms.com
Artisan Wine Gallery, 2072 Granger Way, Lummi Island; 360-758-2959; artisanwineclub.com
Bellingham Farmers Market, Railroad at Chestnut; 360-647-2060; bellinghamfarmers.org
Boxx Berry Farm Store and u-pick, 6211 Northwest Road, Ferndale; 360-380-2699; boxxberryfarm.com
Cloud Mountain Farm Nursery, 6906 Goodwin Road, Everson; 360-966-5859; cloudmountainfarm.com
Community Food Cooperative, 1220 N. Forest St. and 315 Westerly Road, Bellingham; 360-734-8158; communityfood.coop
Everybody's Store, 5465 Potter Road, Deming; 360-592-2297; everybodys.com
Ferndale Public Market, Centennial Riverwalk, Ferndale; 360-410-7747; ferndalepublicmarket.org
Grace Harbor Farms, 2347 Birch Bay Lynden Road, Custer; 360-366-4151; graceharborfarms.com
Green Barn, 8858 Guide Meridian, Lynden; 360-354-1008
Hopewell Farm, 3072 Massey Road, Everson; 360-927-8433
Lynden Farmers Market, 514 Liberty St., Lynden, fiveloavesfarm.blogspot.com
Pleasant Valley Dairy, 6804 Kickerville Road, Ferndale; 360-366-5398; facebook.com/pages/Pleasant-Valley-Dairy/161872142667
Red Barn Lavender Farm, 3106 Thornton Road, Ferndale; 360-393-7057
Small's Gardens, 6451 Northwest Road, Ferndale; 360-384-4637
The Islander, 2106 S. Nugent Road, Lummi Island; 360-758-2190; islandergrocery.com
The Markets LLC, 3125 Old Fairhaven Parkway and 1030 Lakeway, Bellingham; 8135 Birch Bay Square St., Blaine; 360-714-9797; themarketsllc.com
Terra Organica, 1530 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham; 360-715-8020; terra-organica.com
