Flying Fish and Opening Day
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Seattle’s equivalent of Groundhog’s Day is when the Copper River Salmon fly into town. Except our salmon don’t see their shadows and there is no more 6-weeks of winter…well, that’s debatable – because it was freezing cold at 4am.
Press, media, tv reporters, local celebrities and food geeks (like me) flock to the tarmac of SeaTac air port at 5 am to watch that combi-plane fly into the Lower 48 and see the captain saunter out of the plane and hoist a 50+ pound fish over his head, praying like all saints that he isn’t going to drop it or throw his back out in the process.
It’s a rite of passage and a tradition seafood and salmon lovers hold dear.
And I maintain that Seattle will be the only place you see that salmon get the red carpet treatment.
This year, I was lucky enough to be invited by the people of Copper River Salmon to take part in their Fresh Catch Crew, a group of 12 food bloggers from around the country keeping you all up to date on the goings-on of the CRS season and fixing up some tasty treats along the way.
Every year of this cook off, three local well known chefs get together to compete in the winner take all, no holds bard salmon throwdown. This year’s chef selection came by way of Crush, Ray’s Boathouse and Anthony’s Homeport‘s three executive chef all mastering various types of cuisine.
Once the necessary photographs were taken, it was all down to business and the 55 pound beast was masterfully filleted, deboned, and sliced to the specs of each chef. I’ve never seen a knife go through a beast like that. Like buttahhh.
And after having a little taste of it straight from the fish, sashimi style – I. died. happily.
Each chef went to work on their creations, implementing all various means of heat to cook their fishes. We had grills, torches, a Big Green Egg (my personal fave of the cooking varietals) and pans. Flames were rising, smells were wafting and at 6:30 in the morning, salmon was smelling Ah-maayy-zzzingg!!
Even with two mugs of coffee I couldn’t force a smile as big as Chef Wayne’s. Good man.
Chef Pat Donahue of Anthony’s started his salmon off on the grill to sear the outsides, then finished it all on soaked cedar planks. Classic, unadulterated and divine. No muss, no fuss. The seasoning was impeccable with a little bit of cocoa that just nailed the whole dish.
When asked what the biggest mistake people make in cooking salmon is – the consensus, across the board was – over cooking your salmon.
Medium-rare to medium is the highest you should cook it. That’s it? Well, I have some serious adjusting to do, but I’m equal to the task.
The winning dish. Let me just tell you that rhubarb angels painted this plate in deliciousness, cocoa kissed the salmon and one bite of this left me furiously happy. Furiously.
It took all my will power to not snatch one of the left-over tasting plates from the judges.
You wanna know what goes good with salmon and a variety of wines in front of you? 7 am.
Goes great with both. Just sayin’.
In the end, this dish – from Pat Donahue of Anthony’s (pictured above) took the top prize, making it a third year in a row he’s taken the top prize. Overachiever.
The whole morning was an absolute delight, the people were amazing, the food was divine. And after a 2am alarm, I went home to sleep it all off. Now – to get my hands on some salmon….
*Fine Print* I was selected by the fine people of CRS to participate in a summer long campaign to promote this fabulous fish. I have not been moniarily compensated for this post, just given the chance to see a Seattle tradition in person.
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Venessa Goldberg — May 22, 2012 @ 2:50 pm
Excuse me what?! That winning salmon dish looks amazing. It’s awesome you got to see (and taste) that in person.
Fun to meet you at KCTS cooks–Hope to see you around more!
Jackie @ Domestic Fits — May 22, 2012 @ 3:26 pm
That looks like so much fun! I want to join in once I move up there.
Taylor — May 22, 2012 @ 4:35 pm
oh my gaaaaawd that salmon looks amazing!! What a fun experience…wish I would have gone to this when I lived in Seattle!
Valerie @ From Valerie's Kitchen — May 22, 2012 @ 6:31 pm
I was in Seattle in April and I’ll be back in July. It’s a gorgeous town! You have have had so much fun being part of this!
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen — May 22, 2012 @ 7:36 pm
This is beyond cool and puts my dinner tonight of basic oven roasted salmon (it was wild alaskan king at least!) to shame. What a great experience!
mary — May 23, 2012 @ 4:50 am
What a great festival – what a HUGE fish!!! and that grilled salmon looked to die for!
Mary x
NanaBread (Jeanne) — May 23, 2012 @ 6:01 am
I always eat my weight in salmon and Dungeness crab when I visit Seattle. Also Chukkar Cherries, piroshkies, Beecher’s Cheese, and garlic fries & wedge salads at Gordon Biersch. Clearly, I have a love affair with Seattle’s food scene. Wish I was there for the red carpet salmon. I SO would have gotten up at 2am to go with; I would have even sprung for the drive-thru coffee (yet another reason I love Seattle, by the way).
Carrie @ Kiss My Whisk — May 23, 2012 @ 8:29 am
I’m loving this tradition! I look forward to keeping up with the CRS coming and goings on your blog.
Maybe I’ll have to make the 2 am wake up next year.
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts — May 23, 2012 @ 2:22 pm
How fun is this! I am not a big fan of salmon, but what a great thing to go experience!
Country Cleaver » TV Debuts and Wednesday Things — May 23, 2012 @ 5:02 pm
[...] under my eyes correspond to the lack of sleep I got over the weekend doing really cool stuff like this and even cooler, more BA and epicer (can epic-er be a word, just this once?)- I was on the [...]
Rose @ Our Lady of Second Helpings — May 23, 2012 @ 9:02 pm
What an awesome event to be a part of! I am so excited that I can live vicariously through your experience. Also a twitch jealous.
I can just imagine how crazy cool delicious cedar smoke and sizzling salmon skin smells right after sun rise.
Kirsten — May 24, 2012 @ 6:35 pm
How fun is it that a huge salmon gets the red carpet treatment…before being sliced & diced. I love salmon so I look forward to seeing what else you get to do with CRS.
Country Cleaver » Grilled Salmon with Beurre Blanc and Sustainable Oceans Day — June 8, 2012 @ 2:02 am
[...] We are proud of this tradition and I still maintain this is the only city you will ever go to where fish get the red carpet treatment. As part of this proud tradition, the first fish off the plane gets filleted up and cooked up by [...]
Greek Salmon Wraps for the Bride | Inside NanaBread's Head — August 1, 2012 @ 5:06 am
[...] the day she posted a story about opening day of the Copper River salmon season. Y’all, they flew that salmon into Seattle on a jet. And there was a red carpet! Folks in Seattle take salmon season very [...]