copper river salmon for dinner(s)

copper river chinook filet
Originally uploaded by thomas pix

Tonight, I cut up the rest of the salmon we're not going to eat in the next couple days for the deep-freeze.

I still can't believe the color of the meat on these wild-caught salmon. Definitely not pale like their farm-raised cousins. We got a great price on them, ($8.99 per pound after haggling with the fishmonger) and the cooler seemed to keep them fine on the flight from SeaTac to SFO after the TSA folks confiscated our ice.

I prepared our first filet by pan-frying it with thinly-sliced onions. Here's how:

• Started by heating up olive oil and a dab of butter in a 10-inch saute pan at medium-high until the butter sizzled.
  
• Then, lay the filet skin-side down in the pan and cooked two minutes before flipping it over (with care!) to cook skin-side up for another two minutes.
  
• Toss in half an onion thinly sliced and cover.
  
• Cook for six minutes or so on medium-low heat until the fish is done.
  
• Remove the fish and set aside to keep it warm.
  
• Blast the heat under the onions and deglaze the pan with about 1/4 cup water plus 2 Tbsp lemon juice.
  
• Once the sauce reduces by half (and the onions are translucent), pour the sauce over the salmon, garnish with lemon wedges and serve over rice.

Melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

Tomorrow night: we broil it