Yukon River salmon: Hail to the new king

When my friend Jon Rowley talks about salmon, I listen. Rowley is the seafood consultant who introduced the world to Copper River king salmon back in 1983, taking a fish that had previously mostly been canned and revealing to eaters everywhere its rich texture and superlative flavor. The annual arrival of Copper River fish in restaurants and markets is now a highlight of late spring for seafood lovers all over the country.

Now Rowley says he’s found something that might be even better — the salmon from Alaska’s Yukon River. Because the fish need to swim more than 2,000 miles to spawn, they have extraordinarily high levels of fat stored up. At a recent blind tasting of Copper River and Yukon salmon in Seattle, chefs and seafood industry folks favored the Yukon by about 2 to 1, Rowley says.

You can find it at Bristol Farms and at some restaurants. It’s pricey — the first arrivals will be about $30 a pound — but if you love salmon, it's worth the splurge. The flesh is very firm and the flavor is rich. I oven-steamed mine (on a cookie sheet in a 250-degree oven over a baking pan of boiling water; it takes about 25 minutes, but the color stays the same and the taste stays very pure). Looks like Rowley is on to something ... again.

-- Russ Parsons

Photo by Jon Rowley

Comments

[Jim Ray]

Those of us fortunate enough to live in the great Pacific Northwest have known for some time that Copper River salmon, while tasty, is mostly marketing hype from Mr. Rowley and that salmon from any of Alaska's long, cold rivers is imbued with mystical qualities (all that stored fat to make it up the river for spawning means delicious, omega-3 goodness). So, on one level it's a bit disheartening that John is putting his magical marketing stamp of approval on a fish many of us have been enjoying for some time, driving the price even higher. On the other hand, it is nice to see these fish get the attention they deserve and it's the first summer I can remember the price of Copper River salmon, a fine fish indeed, actually going down. Maybe ask your friend if that's coincidental...

One thing to keep in mind with these fattier fish is that the flesh is much more dense and really does want to be cooked a bit longer than many may be used to. Rare is ok, even desirable, for standard fish, but these hearty, cold water creatures really need to be cooked through. I dress mine simply, with kosher salt and a few generous grinds of pepper, grilled flesh side down on a hot grill for about 10 - 12 minutes. This fish has so much flavor, there's no need to try to fancy it up with sauces or marinades.

[Tana]

Funny, when Jon Rowley talks about ANYTHING, I listen. I first met him at Frog Hollow Farm: he was representin' the peaches.

I have cooked salmon the way you do ever since I heard you give the recipe to Terry Gross on "Fresh Air" some years back. It is known in my circle as "Voluptuous Salmon," because that was how you described it to her.

Also, thanks for putting my blog in the Links Menu. I am very flattered!