Ahhh Dogfish! Spoken like a true gourmet.

Salmon Oscar is the correct name for the crab covered and sauced salmon and without the asparagus it would simply be incomplete.

Very delicious indeed and...
It certainly beats that moose-meat that Harley is raving about.

Plunk ... asparagus

What a fine way to ruin an otherwise fine meal.

Elkrun, if you liked the salmon oscar ... try it with halibut

Just have them hold those skinny green make-me-puke sticks and give 'em to your date

Also if you go to this link they have a lot of different recipes from some of the fancy restaruants and lodges in Alaska ... they have a new one in their magazine every month.

Fish Alaska Magazine Recipes

For halibut the Halibut Iliamna is awesome!

Fishgal PS ... Bob and I don't agree on the asparagus Plunker, it's my fav!

The last time I ordered salmon in a resteraunt was about 6 or so years ago.

It was December and we were going to enjoy a nice dinner at Tulio's in Seattle before going to a play or show (I cant remember).

So I ordered the $25 salmon dish thinking it must have been good for that price.

It shows up...I looked at it and its pale flesh and thought 'It better not be chum.' I took one bite...yep...it was chum.

Like Salmo g., I am a salmon snob. Chum and pink, BLAH! Coho is too dry. Winter steelhead is bland. But sockeye, spring or summer chinook and fresh summer steelhead...yum!!

I like my salmon simple...fresh...then I like to barbecue in a foil basket with skin side down and butter and paprika on top...a few thin orange and lemon slices and a pinch of salt. Main thing is not to overcook. Growing up Norwegian I like mine almost raw like my herring...but look for the fat oozing out on top and flake with a fork...DO NOT OVERCOOK

For the best salmon cooked in a restaurant try Ray's at Shilshole or the Waterfront out on the end of Pier 70...don't forget a fat wallet though. And Bob the asparagus is ala carte at the Waterfront ...it is not overcooked and very delicate...(deliscious) so is the spinach. Bring company from out of town or customers there and enjoy the view and some of the best food and service in Seattle.

Grandpa,

I’m with you on the keep it simple part. But then you violate your own concept with the foil basket, butter, paprika, orange, and lemon.

I’m not saying that salmon prepared with seasonings, sauces, and marinades aren’t good. They usually are. That is, I rate them good to excellent, but below outstanding and to-die-for.

I think that the lower the quality of the fish to begin with, then the more it is enhanced by the add-ons. Really high quality chinook and sockeye, and even coho and steelhead, don’t need any embellishment to flat out knock the taste buds off a lot of food critics.

My fish cookery is so simple most people are reluctant to believe it when I tell them after they’ve sampled it.

But you're absolutely right about not over-cooking. Salmo's fish cooking maxim: better to under-cook by 2 minutes than to over-cook by 1 minute.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

My choice would have to be one of the McCormicks restaurants. The is new everyday. It has a fresh list, that tells you what you are getting and where it came from. There are several preparations to choose from. Its always been top notch, plus they have the best happy hour menu in seattle.

One of the best salmon dinners I ever had was prepared by a friend. He took a small Blackmouth, cleaned and scaled. Threw it on the bar-b-que, burned black on both side, cut it into 2 chunks, microwaved it, and served it with garlic drill butter. It tasted kinda like mild smoked fish only very moist. Yum!

IB

Salmo, I would tend to agree with you. When the "blackened" craze hit a few years ago I spoke to a friend in the cooking business. He said that restaurants really loved serving blackened whatever because they did not have to worry as much about the quality of the meat before it was blackened. Put all that stuff on it and seer it, you don't really taste the meat - just the spices. Now if Grandpa wants me to pass judgement on his style of cooking I would of course, purely in the interest of science.

The vast majority of salmon you eat in restaurants is Pen raised . If it is commerically caught and it is at best 2 to 3 days on ice. They fly Copper river fish down next day would be an exception. The nose and eye test is the only test that works for grading fish to determine how it should be cooked. Most places you never see the fish before it is served. That being said I never eat fish I have not caught or cooked myself. Most people junk up thier fish with too many spices,sauces etc and hide the flavor of the fish. They were taught to do this to mask the lack of freshness of store bought or frozen fish. I also think alot of people don't really care for the true flavor of fish. I also think the larger fish do not cook or taste as well. I prefer caught that day Sockeye #1 and 5lb or less Coho next. Kings in the 8 to 10 lb class 3rd. Anything else needs to be smoked IMHO.

I like them all on the barbque and no other way. My favorite for all fish is make a foil boat maybe 1' deep. Squeeze the juice out of 1 each. orange, Lemon, lime, Pink grapefuit and yellow grapefruit. Baste the fish with this juice and let stand for 15 minute. The citric acid starts the cooking process. The lightly sprinkle lemon pepper and a touch of kosher salt and a small pat of butter. Place the boat and fish on a hot barbeque and close the lid. 7 or 8 minutes later check the fish. It is done just when the meat turns opaque. if you let it go longer you have overcooked . Serve right now with a slightly dry white wine of your choice, Caeser salad and Garlic seared Yukon Gold potatoes . Yeah baby yeah!

Salmo and Eddie...my foil basket is really just a piece of foil with the edges rolled up to retain the butter. The seasoning is very slight. The orange and lemon slices very thin. I take the slices off early on. A covered barbecue works best.

Now the real hard core salmon cooking my Norwegian grandma taught me was to put a pot of spuds on the stove with a little salt..When the spuds are almost done drop fillets of fresh salmon into the water. Let the fish cook for a very short time...tak eit out and eat it ...she would cook the whole fish...eyes and all. fish heads in the pot were her favorite. Actually the meat around the head is quite good. Of course we also eat Lute Fisk which is ling cod soaked over night in lye (drain cleaner) until jellied. The you smother the raw jellied cod with melted butter....mmmm Have a few pickled herring fillets for an apetizer... and watch the old timers enjoy their blood sausage fried in bacon fat.

I also love salmon that is fresh and then filleted and skinned and simply poached in butter. Anyway you like it remember the fresh part. Most people have no idea what "fresh" really is. Especially halibut.

Grandpa, now you've done it!!! Lutefisk - OMG. I should have known that you grew up eating that stuff. It all begins to make sense.........

I agree with Eddie. Lutefisk is the only part of my nordic heritage that I have no use for. Its the food of a desperate people. No wonder my Grandparents left Norway. "Ya sure You betcha"

Grandpa, last time I was Poulsbo I found some Lutefisk frozen dinners.