Wild Sockeye Salmon with Herb Salad
The depth of color and flavor in a wild caught salmon are, in my opinion, worth the extra work to acquire, be it fly fishing on the tidewater of the Bering Sea or paying a little extra at the store.
I’ve been fortunate enough to fish the bucket-list salmon run in western Alaska. My feet were firmly planted on the edge, and at times I was inside the tidewater of the Bering Sea, fly fishing for coveted wild salmon.
There is even the possibility that I could have been standing in a place where no man or woman has ever stood before; It was that remote and that wild. We were there just in time to have both timing and luck on our side as we reeled in fish after fish. We were even blessed to have our guide prepare us a shore lunch with the fruits of our labor, beautifully caught sockeye salmon. Our eyes were full and large with wonder and joy as we stared at the bright red color of the filets as they were waiting to be placed on the open fire for our lunch.
The comparison of wild caught salmon to farmed-raised isn’t even comparable. The majority of salmon you find in the supermarket are farmed and fed pellets that artificially color the salmon pink. If they weren’t fed those pellets, then their color would be gray. The depth of color and flavor in a wild caught salmon are, in my opinion, worth the extra work to acquire, be it fly fishing on the tidewater of the Bering Sea or paying a little extra at the store. But by all means, any salmon WILL work. Treat yourself next time with this delicious recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 Large wild caught salmon filet, roughly around 1.5 lbs.
Herb Salad
- 1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 small bunch of dill, roughly chopped
- 5 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 pinch of red pepper flakes
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Salmon Rub
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Let the salmon rest and come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before cooking.
- Take the herb salad ingredients and toss together in a bowl, adding more salt, pepper and lemon as needed. Set aside.
- Whisk together salmon rub in a small bowl.
- Line a large-rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray.
- Place salmon, skin side down in the oven on the baking sheet.
- Pat the surface of the salmon dry with a paper towel and coat evenly with the salmon rub.
- Bake the salmon for 12-14 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.
- Top the salmon with the fresh herb salad and serve.