Smoked Salmon - Day 3 Finish

Those sockeye steaks are now frozen and the necks and tails were consumed with some Mondavi Fume Blanc. Really I have to tell you this. When you taste salmon like those necks, poached in white wine, onion and spices and compare with that which you get in any restaurant locally you must ask the question why bother ?? Those small pieces of fresh salmon were some of the best I have ever eaten. I wish the other foodies on this forum could taste it, they would rave about it too.

Mike,

I just picked up several filets of copper river sockeye and your reference to necks and tails caught my attention. These filets do have a rather thin part toward what would have been the tail of the fish, and I usually just grill the whole filet. This usually means that the "tail" is drier and sometimes just used in salad later. I would like to try your poaching in white wine, onions and spices referenced above. Would you elaborate for me? I understand that you purchased whole fish and cut into steaks, but that is not possible around here. so what I am thinking may not work, but I thought I would take it to the master! Thanks.

Hi Bob, Poaching some leftover trimmings, front and back, is what I did yesterday and they were scrumptous.

In a large saute pan, with a tight fitting lid, I combined 3 tablespoons of Pernod, 1 cup fume blanc, 1.5 cups water, 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes and 2 teaspoons of Penzeys Galena Street Rib Rub spice blend. Cooked it for a minute or two. Added the salmon pieces. Slowly simmered for 5 minutes covered, turned the pieces over, simmered for 5 minutes covered, turned the heat off and let it sit for 10 minutes. Some of my trimmpings were thick so I allowed plenty of time for the poaching to be complete. After the time mentioned I placed them on a dish, covered, in the refer and got them cold. Then had our feast with fume blanc and some additional finger snacks. It worked for me. The times for poaching probably can be reduced but this is how I did it. That salmon was melt in your mouth good.. Try this and please share the results.. Ciao

Hi Bob, Poaching some leftover trimmings, front and back, is what I did yesterday and they were scrumptous.

In a large saute pan, with a tight fitting lid, I combined 3 tablespoons of Pernod, 1 cup fume blanc, 1.5 cups water, 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes and 2 teaspoons of Penzeys Galena Street Rib Rub spice blend. Cooked it for a minute or two. Added the salmon pieces. Slowly simmered for 5 minutes covered, turned the pieces over, simmered for 5 minutes covered, turned the heat off and let it sit for 10 minutes. Some of my trimmpings were thick so I allowed plenty of time for the poaching to be complete. After the time mentioned I placed them on a dish, covered, in the refer and got them cold. Then had our feast with fume blanc and some additional finger snacks. It worked for me. The times for poaching probably can be reduced but this is how I did it. That salmon was melt in your mouth good.. Try this and please share the results.. Ciao

Thanks for that Mike, it sounds delicious. From the sound of your report, I might just dedicate a whole filet to poaching, Don't think I could go too wrong. The filets average 1.25 - 1.5 lbs (small) and are wild caught copper river sockeye. Even though they are small there is just the wife and I so we often have a piece of grilled salmon left after the meal. and I usually flake it for inclusion in a salad, which take the salad to a higher level. I buy the filets at the local Sam's club who flies them in fresh never frozen, and get them for less than $10 lb, it's a can't miss deal.

[Jenise]

It is a phenomenon why locals sometimes do not know about or go near a local attraction or retail outlet. Here is Skagit County I have met people who have never gone near the Tulip Festival or the fields ?? Go figure. So that leaves Barleans to you and us and those that know good seafood.
Robin and I do eat some cheese and you are probably going to tell us about a cheese farm nearby. Probably been there at least once or twice. Dont recall the name. We used to go up more often for squeaky cheese and for berries but we are actually trying to curb some impulse driving and the reasons are obvious. So enlighten us if you wish and we will probably go back during our next visit to Bham.

Life is good !

I know what you mean. I've met people in Bellingham who have never been to Canada, or even White Rock which is after all Right There. It takes some of us transplants to point out what's been under their noses all along. Btw, where did you transplant from, City Boy?

"Squeaky cheese and berries" makes me think you went to Boxx Brothers over on Northwest and a cheese maker who is near there, can't remember their name. Apple something. So I have a susprise for you: that's not the place. I think their cheeses are AWFUL. No, the place I want to recommend to you is Pleasant Valley Dairy, which is just a mile or so north of Barleans on Terrell Creek road. They make goudas, primarily, and it's strictly a family operation. No tasting room, you just ring the farmhouse door and the top half of a double Dutch door opens. The person you meet might be Joyce, who has taken over the cheesemaking very, very ably from her father, or her mother, Mrs. Trane. These are dear and humble people who make about six or seven different cheeses, and they make the only domestic gouda that would compete with real Dutch gouda that I've ever had. It's DELICIOUS cheese, and I know gouda. And if you know gouda, you can convince Joyce to give you tastes and to sell to you in the traditional Dutch way, she will get out rounds of cheese made from the same recipe but which will from March milk vs. December, say, at which times the cows produce milk with different enzymes, and maybe even some older rounds than that if you love the more piquant styles, or even some that have developed crystalization. (This is where I go nuts.) Their cheeses are sold in stores around here, but they're the youngest cheeses--the aged cheeses cut fresh from the wheel are a world apart and available only at the farm. Oh, and speaking of the cows? They have their own herd: these cheeses are produced 100% on their farm according to truly organic farming techniques. I love everything they make, but there's one called by a Norwegian name--and I can't spell it, so I'll spell it phoenetically, nickle-osht,and that's a long o, that contains whole cloves and cumin seed, which was also my favorite cheese during the time I spent in Holland. Anyway, this is divine cheese and well worth a stop.

I know what you mean. I've met people in Bellingham who have never been to Canada, or even White Rock which is after all Right There. It takes some of us transplants to point out what's been under their noses all along. Btw, where did you transplant from, City Boy?

Transplant from LA LA land, Los Angeles in 2000. Had 7 or 8 vacations here in a row and could not even consider living in any other place than PNW. We like 4 seasons and the layed back style of the area. We miss restaurants but for the most part have given up on that and do 99% of our culinary adventures at home.

I will have Robin map out the next visit to Bham which will include the cheese place. Think we were there long ago but have not been back for whatever reason don't recall. Did you try the Bistro yet ?

[Jenise]

I know what you mean. I've met people in Bellingham who have never been to Canada, or even White Rock which is after all Right There. It takes some of us transplants to point out what's been under their noses all along. Btw, where did you transplant from, City Boy?

Transplant from LA LA land, Los Angeles in 2000. Had 7 or 8 vacations here in a row and could not even consider living in any other place than PNW. We like 4 seasons and the layed back style of the area. We miss restaurants but for the most part have given up on that and do 99% of our culinary adventures at home.

I will have Robin map out the next visit to Bham which will include the cheese place. Think we were there long ago but have not been back for whatever reason don't recall. Did you try the Bistro yet ?

Ah, as I suspected, since you recently mentioned by example a restaurant one might find in Pasadena, and I was fairly sure that wouldn't have been the oil patch diners of the Texas Pasadena. Ditto all of the above, though I've found some like-minded foodies (mostly on the other side of the border, albeit), and where including tonight we have been invited to other people's homes three times this week which is why the answer to your last question is no, we've just been too busy.

Say, the only thing not perfect about my salmon smokery yesterday was that I didn't have bagels etc. ready to go this morning. Which leads to another question: have you discovered The Bagelry?