Copper River Salmon???


 
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Keri C

TVWBB Wizard
Feeling the urge to smoke a slab of salmon this weekend, I just called my local fish market and told him my woes. He told me that he just today got in his first shipment of Copper River salmon for the season, and that it was some of the prettiest that he'd ever seen. $21.99/lb. (Said it'd probably go down in price some next week, as this was the first in.) He also has sockeye, and he usually has farm-raised as well.

My experience with hot-smoking salmon (Cardog-style) has been with farm-raised. Does anyone have experience with smoking (or eating) Copper River salmon? I'd be very pleased to hear more.

Thanks much -

Keri C, smokin on Tulsa Time
 
What's the deal with Copper River salmon?

I always thought it was mostly marketing hype, but maybe there's actually something to it, although I can't speak from experience.

Quote:
The mighty Copper River is one of the longest and most rugged rivers in Alaska. Twisting and cutting deeply through the Wrangell and Chugach mountains, it's 300 mile stretch of pristine glacier-fed waters are riddled by hundreds of rapids.

Every May, around the 15th, the first salmon of the season return to the rivers and streams of Alaska with the Copper River being one of the first. King, Sockeye, and Silver salmon embark on long journeys up the Copper River to spawn and lay their eggs. As salmon begin their last journey up this home stretch and prepare to mate, their feeding habits diminish. Because the Copper River salmon's journey is so long, they must store extra fat and oils in order to survive the long trip. This high fat and oil content is why Copper River salmon are recognized as some of the world's best eating salmon.

Copper River salmon are bright silvery salmon with a bright red flesh, a firm texture, and a rich flavor that makes them a very delicious dining experience whose popularity is rapidly growing.
 
Hi Keri,

I live in Northern California and I can tell you that folks up and down the west coast wait for Copper River Salmon every year with total eagerness. I know people who *crave* the stuff and never touch farmed salmon--just wait for Copper River salmon.

That said, myself, I've never had it. We get several different kinds of fresh salmon here and there are cheaper (this year only slightly) than prices. I'm not sure how far the price you mention is going to go down, so I think I'd go for it. I do know that fresh salmon is so much better tasting, and better for you, than farmed.

Go for it!

Dave
 
A couple of times last year I did cedar planked Wild Sockeye salmon on the grill (I assume 'Wild' meant caught, not farmed). It was absolutely fantastic. It was just so much better than the farmed pink salmon I had done before there is no comparison.

I can't speak of Cardog salmon but of the store bought smoked salmon I have had sockeye is the best. I don't eat the squishy cold smoked/brined stuff (or sushi).

Compared to Pink salmon Sockeye is much more firm, has vibrant color, more flavour and I think tastes better. It is supposed to be a little leaner than King if I recall correctly.

Perhaps ask the fishmongers to clarify which kind of salmon they are selling from the Copper river. I can't wait to do some Sockeye on my new WSM!
 
Hi there...

Shawn, could you give me some tips on cooking salmon on cedar planks ?
I have some shipped over the pond right now and cant wait to try, but as these planks come so expensive, i dont wanna ruin the whole thing.

Thanks,

Don Marco
 
Sure Don,

I added Cedar Planked Salmon under Seafood Recipes.

Hope it turns out well for you.
 
Keri,

I cook alot of wild salmon.

Right now, the salmon coming off of the Copper River is WILD SOCKEYE.

Give it another couple of weeks and the Kings will show up in force.

The difference between wild salmon and farmed salmon is night and day. Seriously, it is almost criminal that they call the farm raised stuff salmon.

The salmon that is caught in the Copper River Drainage is just a step above regular wild salmon. It is a nuttier and richer flavor because it is LOADED with oils. It is incredibly fresh because much of it is caught, cleaned and flown into seattle the same day.

A few tips for cooking copper river salmon...

1) Use only salt and pepper to season the first time. Unlike the farm raised cr@p (it is cr@p, btw), many folks prefer a light seasoning that just heightens the fish's natural flavour.

2) Introduce the fish, skin side down, to a screaming hot pan. Once the temps come back up, lower the tempt to medium.

3) Ask your fish monger to not only portion your salmon for you (4oz, 6oz or 8oz), because he will trim the ribs and etc, but INSIST on center cut portions. You are paying a premium and they will gladly do it.

4) I like to cook it so a good crust forms on the flesh side and the skin side is very crispy. The skin can be amazing.

BTW, it only takes one glance at a piece of wild salmon to know that, even with all their best attempts to dye and color farmed raised salmon, it is a different world.

One is a brilliant red with amazing complex flavours while the other is a pale grey with a lack of flavour. One is amazingly good for you. The other lacks the nutrients and could actually be bad for you.

Anyway, when it comes to smoking Salmon, most of my experience is with wild Kings but I have smoked some wild sockeye in the past. I prefer the peppery or savory preperations as compared to the sweeter or honey preparations.

Also, it is MUCH harder to dry out a piece of wild salmon. They generally have an incredible amount of oils.

Spyro

PS. Many of my friends and family will not even think about consuming farm raised salmon including the scottich stuff.
 
The Copper river will have it's different runs according to species, king, silver, sockeye, etc. They each have their own spawning times. If it says Copper river salmon, don't assume it's a particular species.
Wild fish is far better than farmed, but I believe that alot of the hype is due to the name, Copper river, Columbia river, Green river, caught offshore. I'm sure that the Copper river fish are superior based on genetics and environment.
IMHO fish of this quality are best left off the smoker. It ruins their flavor compared to other methods. Use the smoker for the cheaper cuts and savor the flavor of the expensive ones using a different method.
 
I'll agree with bob j on Copper River salmon. The lesser quality fish should be used for smoking to enhance their flavor, the "quality" fish should be prepared in other ways. They already have a great and distinct flavor!!!!!
 
Okay, you guys have convinced me. I'll use a less expensive salmon for my smoking urges, and, Spyro, I will definitely try a very simple pan-grill on some of the premium fish during the next few weeks while my market has it coming in, following your guidelines.

Being land-locked here in OK, GOOD seafood is hard to come by, other from this one certain market that has fresh flown in daily. Thank you for the opinions and education!

Keri C, smokin on Tulsa Time
 
ooops.
I should have mentioned that the different species of salmon have quite different flavors and textures. They should be cooked according to species. It sounds complex but if you do the research, it is well worth the reward.
Smoked dog salmon (humpies/pinks), with FINELY chopped onion and a tad of dill, mixed with cream cheese, spread on a bagel?
Take me to heaven /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif
 
Bob, humpies and pinks are not dog salmon. Pink salmon are also known as humpies. Chum salmon are also called dog salmon, I think because they were commonly thrown to the dogs. Neither of these is very marketable in the lower 48. Generally it is kings (chinook) and silvers (coho) that are marketed in the lower 48, and occasionally sockeyes.

They are not all comparable on the grill, but they're all fun to catch on flies....
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> The mighty Copper River is one of the longest and most rugged rivers in Alaska. Twisting and cutting deeply through the Wrangell and Chugach mountains, it's 300 mile stretch <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>This is marketing. 300 miles is not a long river in Alaska, The Yukon is 2000 miles long, and several others are close to 1000.

That said, Copper River is the Alaska Salmon that seems to end up down here. In Nor Cal, I have seen it as low as $5 per lb. in some years.
 
I live in British Columbia and I've been a Chef for 12 years. I've eaten alot of Salmon, mostly in Sushi restaurants. A few tips:

Never eat farmed Salmon. The difference is night and day, plus we don't need all that crap that they feed the Salmon with in our bodies. Copper river salmon is good, really good. But it is still just Salmon and you can always find just as good wild Salmon. Sockeye is better for smoking due to its bolder taste and richer flesh. The King (or as we call it Spring or Chinook) is much better for a simple grill with white wine and butter.

When making cedar Salmon,(use Sockeye) lightly smoke it with alder wood then finish it in the oven on a cedar plank. We finish it at my restaurant with a bourbon glaze. MMMMMM very good.

Hope this is a little help.
 
I doubt that we will ever see $5 a pound wild salmon anymore. That's mostly due to the big push towards sustainable wild aquaculture and the Marine Stewardship Council. There are strict limits on how many fish that are allowed to be caught each givin season/ salmon run. Less quantity means higher prices.

Also for each particular run, there will be 2 sepapate and distinct qualities of fish. The $21.99/lb. price sounds about right for the highest quality Sockeye that is currently in stores. That is our price (Whole Foods Market) for fillets. We also have steaks for $19.99/lb. or the whole fish for $16.99/lb. Our seafood guy told me about the difference in the grades, but I forgot what it was. You may see Sockeye in "MegaMarts" for $10-12/lb. but it would not be the same as the more expensive stuff.
 
Update to previous post in this thread:

I've done some cheap salmon and some Copper River Sockeye on the WSM. Both to the appetizer recipe from TVWB.

I brined them for 75 minutes, and cooked them at 225 for around 4 hours but the only topping I applied was some cracked pepper.

The sockeye was moderately better, it was firmer and had better salmon flavour.

If money is not a concern, get the wild, not farmed salmon. I will probably buy the cheaper stuff and do the more expensive fish once in a while for a treat.
 
Just a link - Alaska Salmon Recipes

I found Kings to be a bit strong in flavor (also oilier). Favorites, Silvers or Reds from the Deshka, the Susitna, the Copper or just about any other river within reasonable distance to Wasilla.
 
Kieth

Judging from your nom de plum, Phlytyer, and the content of your post, I gather you have done some fishing in the 49th state. I totally concur that silvers and reds grill or smoke the best, my favorite is the red (sockeye), and that kings are a might oily. Copper River reds are a wonderful fish for several reasons. They are one of the first runs to show up in the spring. Also, the guys fishing on the Copper River flats have carved out a niche market. They hand pack the fish in ice and fly them to market, often on the same day. Fresh is everything when it comes to seafood. However, I've sport fished the Deshka for 25 years and it has no red run. Several other streams in the Wasilla area do have red runs including the Susitna.

As we say in Alaska "Friends don't let friends buy farmed fish."

Griff
 
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