Something Fishy

Yes, you're gonna think I've got a one track mind....

Oldest son returned last night from a weekend fishing trip to Haines, Alaska. He went with his friend Kieran and two Japanese students Kieran's family are hosting. They didn't catch much, but we do have a whole salmon in the fridge that we'll barbecue for supper tonight.

This one's a pink salmon, I think, but this is another thing you shouldn't quote me on.

Here's how we'll grill the whole salmon:

First we'll get rid of the head and tail, but that better not be my job. Then the salmon is rinsed thoroughly. Next, I'll brush the inside of the cavity with olive oil and sprinkle minced garlic and chopped fresh herbs from the herb garden. (Tarragon is a good herb to use, and so are parsley or thyme.) Then I'll sprinkle the cavity with a bit of lemon juice--3 or 4 tablespoons is my guess on the quantity used.

Now the fish is ready for grilling, and for that I lay it on a couple of layers of heavy duty alluminum foil and place it on the charcoal grill. You can use a gas grill if that's all you have, and it'll still be tasty, but it won't have the same charcoal grilled salmon taste that this family loves so much.

Place cover on grill and cook until fish is flakey and opaque, turning once. This'll take between 20 and 45 minutes, depending on the size of the fish and how well you got those coals going before you put the fish on.

We just put the whole fish on a serving platter and scoop the flesh out and onto our plates with a big serving spoon or fork. If that idea sounds too disgusting for you, you can scoop the flesh out and onto a serving platter in the kitchen before serving. We eat our grilled salmon without anything more on it, but some people like to serve it with lemon wedges and melted butter.

Mmmm....I got hungry just proofreading that.

And there's still more fish news. Last night I walked the dog down by the dam, and there had been 589 chinook through the fish ladder, 110 going through yesterday. I'd say that means the run is nearing it's peak now.