Salmon Tips from an Executive Chef

Title: Jake Harris, General Manager and Executive Chef at the Stikine Inn, Wrangell, Alaska

Favorite food to cook?

Salmon, of course! Salmon is king in southeast Alaska.

Is there a type of salmon that you prefer?

Kings are the granddaddy of salmon and can weigh in excess of 30 lbs. Most people don’t know that there are actually two different types of kings: white or ivory kings and pink kings. Only 25% of kings are white, so it’s a fish that isn’t commonly served in restaurants. The whites seem to have a higher oil content from their steady diet of herring. Whites also lack the ability to metabolize naturally occurring pigments from their food, which is why the flesh is white instead of bright pink or red. However, one of my favorite salmons is the sockeye. They range between 5-12 lbs, are affordable and hold up well to all types of cooking.

How do the locals of Alaska cook their salmon?

Even in Alaska, most locals smoke or can and I’m always trying to educate people that there are more ways to cook salmon besides just canning.

Do you think people are intimidated about cooking fish? I once read that most people cook fish until it's done and then cook it some more.

Lots of people overcook their fish. I tell them to test the thickest part of the salmon. The consistency should be not like rubber and not like a sponge. One of the most important things you can do is let the salmon rest after cooking. Put it in a warming oven or cover it with foil and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. This will give time for the flavors to be dispersed throughout the fish. Also, never put salmon flesh side down in the pan. It should always be cooked skin side down.

Do you have a favorite sauce for salmon?

One of the easiest and tastiest sauces is a bourbon glaze. Anytime I put a dish with bourbon on the menu, it sells! Combine into a paste 1/4 cup of bourbon (not rye whisky)  1/2 cup of brown sugar, olive oil and smoked sea salt. Rub this on the salmon and broil it at 450 or low. Cooking time depends on the thickness of the salmon but usually for 8-12 oz of salmon, its 10-15 minutes but if its just the tail, it could be only around 5 minutes.

Another favorite is to poach the salmon in a wine sauce. Combine white wine ( I like Pinot Grigio) with some lemon, dill, thyme, sage and sea salt. Put the salmon on tin foil and fold the sides up to contain the liquid. Pour the liquid on top of the fish and seal the tin foil around the salmon, but not tightly. You want the foil to have air around the fish so it creates a pocket. Steam it in the oven at 400 degrees for 1lb and up to 30 minutes longer if it’s larger than a pound.

What wine goes best with salmon?

If the sauce is sweet then I recommend Pinot otherwise,  Moscato goes well with non-sweet sauces.

What else would you like people to know about Wrangell?

Come to Wrangell, stay at the Stikine Inn and enjoy everything we have to offer. Wrangell has a lot for visitors to see and do but we are also a friendly and homey city that will make you want to come back.