Summer is on it’s way. The fishermen returning to the dock here in Sitka just like the anticipated return of the summer king salmon. The dock is quiet today, Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Sounded like half of town was heading for the hot springs…

I’m doing some desk work, and found myself thinking about that hog I hooked last year, a king so big I had to move over while the captain conked her and hauled her aboard, groaning. I cheered and danced, gloated and grinned at this monster who hung out both sides of my cleaning tray. I sliced her open and used two hands to scoop out the skein of roe.

Later in town I bragged and in bragging brought out everyone else’s biggest fish story. 

I wish I had let her go. The more I learn about how important the big kings are to the future of all kings the worse I feel. In the time it took me to clean and haul that big mama around I could have caught 3 more 18 pounders and our overall catch total would have been the same. And that giant mother of future hogs could have had a chance to make it back to her home river, laid her eggs, and been part of building a strong season of big kings, ready to hook in 2020 or so. 

As penance, I’m going to let some big fish go this year. Probably when the captain isn’t looking. It will be hard but if I am in awe of the size, and the hook looks easy to pull, I’m going to send a few back. 

I just finished reading Charlie Campbell’s contribution to the recently released anthology Made of Salmon. His piece, Size Matters, focused on the decreasing size of kings returning to the Yukon River, and it made me regret that big king salmon of 2015. In fact, it made me regret big fish stories in general.

Campbell’s piece is a great read for a variety of reasons, but what I found especially interesting was the idea that the biggest kings, with their pure strength and power, dig the deepest redds. These deepest redds, sort of “nests” for salmon eggs, offer extra protection to these precious future kings, and increase their chances of survival.  The biggest kings are also producing the healthiest and most robust roe. Additionally, the very ability of the biggest kings to move big rocks out of place means that, according to Campbell, the can “expand their range on swift-running creeks—they can exploit locations where smaller fish can’t."

Maybe it’s time to take a break from Big Fish Stories. Or refocus them as stories of the biggest salmon we ever let go. The joy in watching it drop deep and silver back into the sea. I’m looking forward to telling that one.

Team Springline just wrapped up an wonderful week in New York City. We had a two-fold reason for our trip, both of them delicious!

On Wednesday, April 6 we were honored to join other Alaska seafood lovers at the James Beard House for the Great Alaska Seafood Celebration. Chefs Laura Cole and Beau Schooler treated us to a multi-course meal that highlighted the bounty of Alaska. And not just seafood! We noshed on other ingredients from the 49th state including reindeer, pork and spruce tips. 

You can check out the entire menu here, but take our word for it - amazing!  

We also enjoyed several food-focused days at the 2016 Chef’s Collaborative Summit which brought together food-focused people (not just chefs) from around the country to a 4-day event to talk food and economics. We learned a lot about one of the hot topics in restaurant business these days - tipping. Seems like we’ll be seeing a real change in how restaurants approach paying servers and making sure that back-of-the house workers are getting their fair share of the bill. It’s not going to be an easy transition.

We heard from speakers on a variety of topics including mental health in the kitchen (for more on that topic, check out this website Chefs with Issues: ), an inspirational take on aquaculture from Barton Seaver, the ups and downs of investing in food-based businesses and more. Our evenings were, no surprise, filled with more delicious food!

The eating highlight of the Summit took place on Monday night where we were treated to half a dozen amazing chefs working wonders with a variety of west coast groundfish (including ling cod, rockfish, sole and other underutilized (but sustainably harvested) fish. Sponsored by the Environmental Defense Fund, the party was a kick-off for their Eat these Fish campaign which you can learn more about here. Best dish of the night? My vote went to Ling Cod Head Cheese!

We’re just about sold out of our 2015 harvest, great news as we start to gear up for a new season! We’re looking forward to fishing some spring kings before the summer kicks off, we’ll let you know as soon as we plan our first trip. 

If you live in the Boulder area you have an amazing opportunity to enjoy some frozen-at-sea King Salmon fillets at an amazing price this weekend!

We are heading to Boulder and Louisville to spend a long weekend at Alfalfa’s and we’ll be sampling up some of our king salmon. Stop by and say hi! We’ll be in Boulder on Friday and Saturday of this week and we’ll be in Louisville on Sunday - 11:00 to 4:00 all three days!

All our King Salmon are hook and line caught, pressure bled and impeccably clean before we hand them down, one at a time, into our 40 below zero blast freezer. In most cases those king salmon are in the freezer less than an hour after harvest.

When people taste our fish they usually say, “this is SO DELICIOUS! How did you cook it?” and I always respond - "it’s not how we cooked it, it’s how we caught it!” Stop by Alfalfa’s this weekend and see for yourself - we think it’s the best salmon you’ll ever taste.

If you want to read about our 2015 King Salmon Season - check out this blog post - it’s all about the fish you’ll see at Alfalfa’s

PRO TIP: We did catch a + 45 lb. king that we kept head on - she will be on display in Boulder! 

Team Springline is hitting the road this week - heading to the Twin Cities to show off our Frozen-at-Sea Coho salmon at a handful of Lunds & Byerly’s stores!  

We’ll post a full list of which stores we’ll be visiting later in the week, but if you live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, you’ll be able to find our coho at all of their stores right now. Just stop by the seafood department and ask for the Springline Coho Salmon! All the stores do an amazing job showcasing seafood, we could’t be happier about partnering with them.  

So, you’ve grabbed a couple pounds of coho and are looking to do something a little different this week to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day - we say skip the corned beef and try this tasty recipe for Salmon with Cabbage and Cider Vinegar from the good folks at Saveur.  

If you want to start the week off with salmon - celebrate Pi Day (3.14) with this easy recipe for Russian Salmon Pie from Alaska’s Chef Kirsten Dixon.  Bonus - it’s a perfect choice for Meatless Monday. 

Have a great week!

Like most people I’m craving a taste of the tropics once mid-January rolls around. Good thing that craving coincides with citrus season! It’s a delicious relief to find a wider selection of ripe oranges, grapefruits, key limes and other zesty delights in the produce aisle.

I’m also a big fan of juicing. Not in the “2 week cleanse” kind of way, more like the “holy cow that’s delicious” and “6 lbs. of trimmings into the compost” kind of way. I like a variety of citrus spiked with fresh ginger and turmeric, maybe some pineapple or a couple of apples to sweeten it up. It takes a lot of fruit to make a glass of juice so in-season citrus is good for the ol' budget.

Between the juicing and the fun, fresh recipes that citrus season brings, things are feeling pretty sunny in the Springline Seafood Kitchen!

If you like a indulge in an adult beverage while you’re cooking, try making a batch of oleo saccharum - it’s easier than it sounds… really all you have to do is take a bunch of those leftover peels from your earlier juicing extravaganza and mix them with some sugar. In a couple of hours the sugar will have pulled the citrus oils out of the peels and left you with a delicious oily concoction delicious in any kind of cocktail you can dream up. Or try this one for Rum Punch.

Now that you’ve got a tasty tumbler of Rum Punch at the ready, let’s get to the point of this post. Citrus and salmon are a match made in heaven!

We all love a bit of fresh lemon juice (and zest) squeezed over a fillet before we pop it in the oven. Sometimes that, and a bit of salt and pepper, is all it takes. Don’t have a lemon? Try a lime, an orange or even a grapefruit. If you’re worried that nature didn’t make the fruit sweet enough, mix the juice with a dab of honey before adding it to your fillet.

Or, try making a citrus-focused vinaigrette. A spinach salad with fresh orange sections topped with grilled salmon and an orange vinaigrette? Sounds great on a dreary day.  Here’s a sweet and spicy version to try.

Roasted salmon also pairs nicely with a brown butter citrus sauce. Pop your salmon in the oven. While it’s cooking melt about 4 tablespoons of butter in a sauté pan and keep it on medium high heat while it melts and foams up. As the butter starts to brown, lower the heat and keep an eye on it. You want the nutty flavor of a rich brown butter - but don’t let it go to far! Once its a nice deep brown, pull the pan from the heat and add the zest and the juice from an orange (or a lemon). Season with a bit of salt and pour over your salmon.  Delicious! If you’re in the mood, toss some capers in that sauce, or try starting with some minced shallots.  

How are you enjoying citrus this winter?

The first week in January usually equals crowded gyms, abstaining from alcohol and mass consumption of salads… Let’s talk about that last item!
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We love salads. In fact we eat them for lunch almost every day (when we’re not fishing…). Our salads are fridge-clearing works of art. 

• Tons of vegetables - and not just lettuce - kale, cabbage, carrots, onions, broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes...
• Avocados - always!
  
• Chopped fresh fruit - especially apples and pears or dried fruit - raisins, elderberries
• Chopped fresh herbs 
• Toasted nuts - pecans, walnuts, almonds
• Seeds - sesame seeds, chia seeds
• Grated cheeses especially full flavored hard cheeses
• Hard boiled eggs
• Protein - smoked or roasted salmon, bacon bits, shrimp, shredded turkey or chicken

And then of course, the dressing. David loves blue cheese (we often “extend” it with a splash or two of buttermilk) but I’m usually down for something more unique.  Right now I am loving this version of a Ceaser salad dressing -  It’s delicious! If you make a triple batch and keep it thick you can use the extra if for a tasty dip with vegetables, and then just thin what’s left with a little water to make it into more of a dressing when needed.  

I’m also happy to “feed” an existing salad dressing bottle to keep it alive… It’s not out of the question that we have salad dressing bottles that are 2, 3 years old in our refrigerator. As soon as one is about to be emptied, I add vinegar (usually apple cider), a splash of oil (walnut, olive or avocado) some mustard, and whatever else might strike my fancy.  

Bon Appetit also recently had some suggestions for making your own dressings here that I found pretty interesting. Just get creative! And make small batches, that way if you don’t really like how it turned out your not out $15 for that 10 oz. of hazelnut oil you dumped in there.

So I was drooling over this post about making your own charcuterie platters on Tasting Table at the airport the other day, and I flashed back on a seafood-focused “charcuterie” platter that I enjoyed in Boston a few years ago…

I can’t even remember where it was, let alone what was on it (I blame that on the Boston Seafood Show) but I do remember being wowed and swearing that I’d make my own the second I got home.

Flash forward 2.5 years and here I am again swearing that I will make one for our New Year’s Eve celebration!  What am I going to put on it the platter? Good question.  Here’s what I am thinking right now (but am open to hearing your suggestions).

First here’s some advice from Kris Morningstar (chef/owner of Terrine) from the Tasting Table piece: “When I'm building the perfect charcuterie plate, I want to get sweet, salty, a little spicy and some creamy all on the same plate.”  Sounds like good  advice to me. 

• Creamy - Smoked salmon mousse. Luckily David has been smoking coho like crazy here at home, so I have awesome product to work with.  I’m going to make my mousse SUPER fresh and creamy with lots of dill and lemon zest. That way I can serve some of his smoked coho salmon straight up and it won’t seem like two versions of the same thing.
• Sweet - This one is easy - pickled herring. I am such a fan of this jarred treat. My family is Polish and both herring in wine and herring in cream sauce were staples on our holiday table.  Plus it's easy - I can pick it up at our local City Market!
• Salty -  This one is easy - it’s New Years Eve… caviar!  I’ll keep it simple with salmon roe, but feel free to splurge!  Check out my friend Rachel’s amazing company if you’re looking for a wide selection of hand crafted roes.
• Spicy - I’m going to go with some spicy pickled shrimp. If I wasn’t already serving our coho as a smoked option I’d probably do a pickled coho w/ hot peppers. But one cannot live on coho alone!

I’m going to add some crunch with a bowl of some fun Hapi snack mix, and plenty of crackers, sliced and seasoned cucumbers (or maybe some refreshing Sunomono), and a seafood-friendly dip or two. 

I’ll let you know how it turns out!  

December is in full swing and although it sounds like some of the country is enjoying above average temperatures, we’ve got snow! We couldn’t be happier…

Of course cold winter weather means soup, soup and more soup! We love our classic rich and creamy wild salmon chowder, but we’re also fans of what I think of as a version of a Portuguese Fisherman’s Stew. I am not Portuguese, but I don’t think anyone minds when I set down a steaming bowl of this tasty stew after a long day fishing!

Portuguese Style Fish Stew
(serves 4 - 6)

2 Tbs. oil (I like avocado)
1 red pepper, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 - 3 carrots, chopped
1 Tb. chopped garlic
1 can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
1 bottle clam juice (8 oz.)
2 - 3 cups fish stock (or chicken stock, or water + your favorite base)
2 bay leaves
a few saffron threads (more or less to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. coho salmon, skinned and cut in chunks
1 lb. other fish or shellfish (halibut, ling cod, shrimp, mussel meat or just more salmon)

1. Sauté the peppers, onions, celery, and carrots in the olive oil over medium heat until just starting to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes, white wine, clam juice and stock (adjust stock to make stew thicker or thinner, depending on preference) and bring to a simmer.
3. Add bay leaves, saffron threads and season with salt and pepper.
4. Let soup simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until vegetables are the texture that you like them. When ready, add the fish and the shellfish and continue to simmer until fish is cooked through - 5 to 7 minutes.
5. Serve with plenty of fresh bread!  

You can also make the soup base and then simply add cooked fish/shellfish and heat to warm through. A great way to enjoy leftover salmon!  

Need more salmon soup inspiration?  Here’s a Thai Style Salmon Chowder featuring coconut milk. Or what about this unique Russian Salmon Soup? Feel free to share your favorite salmon soup recipe in the comment section below. 

I was joking around on Twitter last week about how annoying the yogurt section in most supermarkets has become - so many choices (let me amend that - so many BAD choices) that it’s overwhelming. And the flavors - non-fat Boston Cream Pie? Gross. Also, there’s the endless parade of single-use plastic containers. It’s madness!

Thankfully, Julie Buckles picked up on my unease and suggested I check out a homemade yogurt recipe over on her blog. I finally found myself with some free time (and a yogurt-free fridge) and decided to give it a go.

I link to Julie's original post above, but I made mine with both powdered goat milk and fresh goat milk (Meyenburg brand) and used a goat milk yogurt.

Why so goaty? Well, I love the flavor and got hooked on goat milk when I used to think that it was a better choice for people who have some issues digesting lactose. I have since learned that goat milk has as much lactose as cow’s milk, but don’t tell my intestines that! Plus, it’s delicious. I love goat butter on popcorn and toast, goat milk in my coffee, goat cheese folded into my omelet. I could probably live on goat products and coho salmon.  And coffee.  

Did you know goat meat is the most widely consumed protein on the planet? Although pork is the meat the planet eats the most of.  We ate a whole goat last year (no, not it one meal!) which was delicious in every possible recipe we could come up with. Americans in general have been slow to adopt goat meat - a problem we face with good quality domestic seafood. Check out this article from Modern Farmer magazine that talks more about goat meat and efforts to popularize it.

But back to the yogurt. I’m stalling. My first batch didn’t work. Well, it worked if I was trying to make something like Kefir. And it is tasty, it just never got thick. Sounds like I either added the culture when the milk was too hot (note to self: calibrate thermometer), the culture was old or otherwise not ready to go to work, or goat milk is kind of temperamental (some suggest adding gelatin to guarantee thickening).

I’m going to use it up in some oatmeal pancakes that usually call for buttermilk (we usually freeform these, but here’s a recipe if you prefer).  And then once I eat those pancakes I will try it again. Stay tuned! 

I have to admit that I often use the term “roasted” simply because I think it sounds good. Gourmet yet rustic. I mean tell me the phrase “Roasted Salmon with Figs & Fennel” doesn’t just conjure up a reclaimed wood dining table, soft lighting, and mason jars filled with homemade wine?

Roasted has definitely muscled baked out of my vocabulary.

But I started wondering if there is actually a difference between these two terms and lo and behold (which kind of sounds like a good name for a farm-to-table restaurant, yes?) there actually is a BIG difference!

Roasting takes something solid - like a piece of meat or a heirloom beet and turns it soft. Baking takes something soft - like a cake batter or a mushroom swiss frittata and turns it hard. Eureka!

Now that we’ve got that cleared up, why don’t we dig a little deeper into roasting up the perfect wild salmon.  Maybe for Thanksgiving?

1. Start slow. Heck, finish slow too! Whatever seasonings you decide to go with, try roasting your salmon at a lower temperature than you might be used to. We’re talking about 250° to 275° for about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how thick the fillet is. 

2. Keep the fish seasoning simple (just a bit of salt and pepper. Or maybe just salt), but go nuts with sauces, toppings and other accompaniments. Here are a few ideas:

•     It’s pomegranate season! Try mixing these crunchy little delights (actually called “arils”) with orange supremes & juice + fresh chopped herbs - a perfect seasonal salmon topper!
•     You probably have some pesto in the freezer after the summer’s basil bounty - tastes great with salmon! If you’re out of stock, try a variation on the classic like this one.
•     Try some cream-top (or other full fat) plain yogurt spiked with fish-friendly flavors. Capers, lemon juice & zest, fresh chopped dill, spicy peppers, chopped cilantro and lime juice.  
•     Chopped apples mixed with nuts (like a haroset) is another great fall salmon “condiment”.

3. And of course you know we have to bring up LEFTOVERS! That slow roasted salmon will taste great cold - on top of a salad or as an easy wrap sandwich. 

Let us know how you’re enjoying roasted salmon this week!