“You’ll get a very good price for that salmon at a
local restaurant”, remarked the fishing guide. Selling his catch hadn’t
even entered David’s mind.
And so along with our whale watching excursion, the
LSI retreat of 2014 will be remembered as the summer that David reeled in a 35
pound rare white King (Chinook) salmon.
Appropriately, known as “Ivory Whites”, these
salmon differ from the red King Salmon. Among the species of salmon
caught in our Pacific Northwest waters, only the King salmon has the white
variety. This small percentage explains their $12 to $20 per
pound price tag. Known for their red or pink
flesh, salmon get this colouring from the carotene found in the shrimp and krill
that they eat. Ivory Kings have an extra enzyme that processes the
carotene instead of storing it. This unique pale salmon was typically
headed for the canning heap, but in recent times this fish (when chefs can get
it) is now found on the menus of prestigious restaurants from Seattle to New
York. With its milder tasting, melt-in-your-mouth, silky, buttery
texture, it has been described as a cross between Chilean Sea Bass and
Sea Perch. According to a New York Times article, Alaskan Feast, a purveyor in NY City, was one of the first companies to offer the fish. ''When we brought it in three years ago,'' said Dan Kim, a salesman, ''it was really hard to convince people to try it. Then they tasted it.' Now, it is difficult to bring in enough.”
Culinary advice on how to cook this rare delicacy
abound. Some chefs roast it slowly in an oven while others like to poach
it gently. For the LSI staff and their families, a simple smattering of
seasonings and onto the grill or into a steamer was the simplest and most
delicious way to go.
Thank you David! We dined like “Kings” this
past weekend.
No comments:
Post a Comment