Lazy man and spoiled wife cooking salmon

[Okanagan]

Grandson Code has been moonlighting one day a week for a small commercial salmon fisherman, same man he worked for in Alaska. They are beach netting.

Code brought us a small jack salmon a couple of evenings ago that I cooked today rather than freeze it.  Was tied up or would have had it for supper last night.

I wanted to slow cook it in hot smoke but my smoker is still buried under stuff I need to put away from our move.  I was hungry for salmon when I came in at lunch, didn't want to dig out the smoker... so improvised.  I spaced two concrete blocks just right to hold the lip handles of the cookie sheet the fish was already on.  Built a small fire of dry alder at our burning spot for garden brush, and put the fish on when it was burned down to all coals.

 


The two pics above were after about ten minutes on the coals. The more heavily spiced tail section of fish in the upper left of the photo just above pic is a rub of Greek spices, a small section to taste test.  We like it!  Third pic below is at 18 minutes, all done except for a spot or two I finished with a torch.




Jack salmon are small male Chinooks that come back into the river a couple of years early and spawn.  Some say it is nature's way of insuring that all of the females' eggs are fertilized.  Jacks are fun on light tackle, superb on the plate.

After a few bites, my wife said, “This isn't as good as Canadian salmon.”

“We were usually eating sockeye salmon in Canada,” I replied, “and most people think sockeye tastes better.  Sockeye is usually rated the best tasting salmon, and this is second.”

“Oh,” she said.  “It is kind of mild.”
“I didn't spice it as much as usual,” I said.  “It needs more.”
“Yes,” she said.  Then she paused and said, “Do you think I am spoiled when it comes to eating salmon?”
“Yes,” I said.  “How many people in North America get to eat fresh salmon for lunch today, and how many of those would have any idea what kind they are eating?”

[pitw]

Looked edible.
Never had fresh salmon so wouldn't know if I liked it and I know I don't overly care for frozen stuff.

[nastygunz]

Yummmmmmmmmmm

[remrogers]

Looked edible.
Never had fresh salmon so wouldn't know if I liked it and I know I don't overly care for frozen stuff.

There is no comparison to fresh salmon. It is fantastic. Frozen or canned can't hold a candle to fresh.

[JohnP]

You need to stop showing these pictures now I need to go out and buy some fresh salmon - which is easy to find in the desert!!!!!!!!