Scrumptious Salmon In Stock

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By Katie Hurley

We’re in the midst of fishing season…. that wonderful time of year when fresh salmon and halibut are readily available and at their best.   With so many great seafood options available in the Northwest, the only dinner dilemmas are which fish to choose, and how to prepare it!

Adam Beasley, the Meat and Seafood Manager at Ralph’s Thriftway, has been with the company for 12 years.  To get the best quality seafood, he likes to work with one main seafood supplier.   “We have a very good relationship with our distributor,” says Beasley.  “We are choosy about who we buy from, and we put a lot of faith in them.”

Salmon accounts for about 60-70% of Ralphs’ seafood sales during this time of year, according to Beasley.  Fresh salmon varieties available right now include King, with soft, buttery texture and rich flavor, and Coho, which has a milder flavor and firm flesh.   Ralph’s and Bayview Thriftway are also carrying Sockeye salmon, which is less rich than King or Coho, but with a stronger salmon flavor.

Beasley, who got his start in the meat and seafood business at age 13 when he took a job cleaning a meat shop, likes his salmon prepared simply to bring out the best flavor.  He sprinkles a seasoning blend, such as Rub With Love Salmon Rub, over the salmon and then bakes it in a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes per inch of thickness.

Salmon, especially King, is best when cooked just barely to medium, when it is still juicy and tender.    The different options for seasoning and preparing salmon are virtually limitless.  Roasting, broiling, grilling, poaching and smoking all lend themselves well to salmon.   Salmon grilled on cedar planks, often seen in restaurants, is easier to do at home than you might think.

To make cedar plank-grilled salmon:  Soak a 12” untreated cedar plank in warm water one hour.  Preheat grill to medium-high heat and place the cedar plank on the grate.  Cover and heat the wood until it begins crackling and smoking.  Open the lid and place a seasoned and/or marinated 2-pound salmon filet, skin-side down, on the cedar planks and cover the grill.  Cook until salmon is desired degree of doneness, approximately 15 minutes.  The salmon will continue to cook after removing the plank from the grill.   To serve, gently lift the salmon flesh away from the skin with a spatula.

Another of Beasley’s favorites is rockfish.  This mild whitefish is very versatile – it pairs with almost any savory seasoning combination.  Try it blackened, using bottled Cajun blackening seasoning and following the instructions on the package.   Blackened rockfish makes great fish tacos – a dash of sour cream, some mango salsa and some finely shredded cabbage atop a flour tortilla makes a quick meal.

Like rockfish, fresh halibut is versatile and easy to prepare.  With a mild flavor and firm, white flesh, halibut is great with many different flavors.  It is excellent baked in a spicy tomato sauce and served with pasta, or grilled with a marinade of soy, ginger and garlic.  For a really quick flavor boost, try one of the Stonewall Kitchens marinades.  The Sesame Ginger Teriyaki Sauce and the Curried Mango Grille Sauce are both great on grilled or broiled halibut.   Halibut makes great tacos, too.

Ralph’s and Bayview Thriftway carry a wide variety of seafood in addition to salmon, halibut and rockfish.  You’ll usually find scallops, shrimp, oysters, clams and mussels and a wide variety of smoked salmon, as well.   Most seafood cooks quickly, making it a great choice for fast, healthy dinners.  With nothing but some seasoning and your oven or grill, you can turn a piece of fresh fish a tender, juicy entrée in minutes.

Stop by locally owned Ralph’s or Bayview’s Seafood Department and see what’s in store for your dinner!

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