My brother-in-law, Chip, recently went up North to meet a friend and go on a fishing trip to catch salmon. He brought back quite a catch and blessed my husband and I with a sizeable amount of fresh salmon, too. Other than some fish my husband has caught in the Gulf of Mexico, I have never had fish so fresh! And I can tell you I have never had salmon so fresh!! He gave us several fillets. I'm talking BIG fillets, large enough that each one could easily feed two people. I set out to cook at least a couple of them immediately, while they were at their freshest...but with it just being the two of us, I didn't want to cook up all the fish at once. (That's not to say I was distressed at all at the amount he gave us, I couldn't have been more pleased! And more chances for me to try out different things with the freshest of fish!)...it turns out I was pleasantly suprised at how well the fish kept over a few days in the fridge.....I guess I am accustomed to buying fish from the store that is already past its 'peak' and you have to rush it to the freezer the day of purchase if you don't cook it right then. But the salmon he gave us was so amazingly fresh!The first portions we ate immediately were grilled over a charcoal fire....yum! Just rubbed with some olive oil and lightly seasoned, then grilled, they were simply scrumptious with just a squeeze of fresh lemon! There is something about grilled fish, and especially fish this fresh that is truly rewarding. I served the grilled salmon alongside some lemon-herb risotto, green beans and some Chardonnay.
The same night that I fired up the grill for our grilled salmon, I thought I sh
ould make good use of the coals....so I decided to try my hand at making some Hot-Smoked Salmon. Why not? Now was as good a time as any. I'd never tried doing this before, but I carefully tended the coals and added some Mesquite wood, keeping an eye on the temperature inside the grill. The salmon turned out simply lovely! It had an appealing, mild-smoky taste. John loved it! To him it was along the lines of smoked mullet, which he likes. I knew this was a compliment, because John isn't a big fan of smoked foods (except BBQ)....so for him to like it, I knew I'd successfully pulled it off! And it helps to have a quality piece of fish to work with. We ate some of the smoked salmon different ways....I even added some to my scrambled eggs. I also intend to transform some into a yummy Smoked Salmon dip to serve with crackers for a party tomorrow night. And the remaining bit (if there is any) just might be mixed with cheeses for its debut in some fresh-homemade,delectable Smoked Salmon Ravioli with Tomato-Cream sauce. Yum!!!!
I also utilized some of the catch in my most favorite recipe of all for salmon: Panfried Salmon with Pinot Noir Sauce, served with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. Simply scrumptious!!! The yummy, buttery Pinot-Noir sauce over the sautee'd salmon is fantastic, even better mixed in with the delicious garlic mashed potatoes. One of my most favorite salmon preparations, I simply knew I had to do this with the fresh salmon, a very rare treat, indeed.. and it was worth it!!Even better? How about trying some lightly-toasted homemade-rosemary sourdough, with a small side of garlic butter? Delicious! And, of course, a nice, smooth Pinot Noir (preferably the same one used to deglaze the pan the salmon was sautee'd in) would be the perfect complement!
It was tough to decide what to do with the last fillet.....after all, how often do you get a treat like this? I know that what I decided to do may not seem extraordinary enough given the rare opportunity at fresh-caught salmon like this.....but just the same, I have to
say that a really good, grilled fish sandwich is always something we like! It may seem lackluster, but a good fish sandwich can be a mouth-watering event....and I thought this was the perfect way to utilize our last fillet. So my husband and I each enjoyed a luscious, grilled piece of salmon on a toasted, garlic-buttered roll, with a nice, homemade "tartar" sauce with dijon mustard in it....and, of course, a squeeze of fresh lemon, some shredded lettuce and a slice of fresh tomato. And while John isn't much for cheese on his sandwiches, I enjoyed mine with a nice slice of melting muenster.....YUM!! Paired with some steak fries, no one could convince us this was a waste of our last, precious fillet!We're so appreciative of John's brother, Chip, for blessing us with some of the fish he caught. It was a thoughtful, hard-earned (I'm sure! I've never fished for salmon, but I'm sure it's not easy!) and much-appreciated gift.....especially for a FOODIE like me, and my husband who appreciates trying all the myriad of things I set out to cook. It was a real treat to be able to cook with and eat the wonderful, fresh salmon!
Here's to Chip!! :)
