Tradional Native way to cook salmon

[Okanagan]

Did a salmon last evening for friends and for the fun of it and how great it looks, we propped it on sticks over the fire the old way.

I remove the spine, rib and fin bones and leave the skin over the salmon's back intact to hold the two sides together.  This one spent 8 hours in the fridge covered with dry spices and a bit of liquid smoke, covered tightly in Saran wrap.



Then I insert several thin cedar sticks through the meat to make the whole salmon stiff enough to stay spread out when cooking over the coals.  I cut the western red cedar from our wood pile.  The salmon was about 11 or 12 lbs. and in the form shown in these pics, is 18 inches long head to tail and 16 inches wide.



Then I slide the spread out salmon into the split end of a pole.  Usually we use alder but this pole is hazelnut.  Wire the end of the pole tightly to hold the salmon in place when you prop up the pole.  We wire the split pole together on the other end of the salmon as well.


I started the salmon skin side toward the fire though the true tradional way is to prop it flesh side toward the fire at some distance away and never turn it.  I had guests coming and needed to cook it a little faster.





Turned flesh side down, below.





This salmon turned out the best I've ever done and like an idot, I never got a picture of the perfect finished product.  It was a little busy removing the long pole and serving and every body wanted to watch and see it. The guests loved it.

Anyway, a bit on how to if you want to tackle this kind of cooking.  It's a bit time consuming but is easy for me since we have the right kinds of wood, tools and a fire box handy. 

[nastygunz]

Thats pretty cool!

[FinsnFur]

Thats crazy. Looks so dang perfect too.
If I tried that, whether it be at home surrounded with all the right tools or in the middle of an island using what I had available. It would be burnt to a crisp, dry and covered with dirt 

[Okanagan]

Man I wish we could do a Fins and Fur cookout and grill a salmon this way.  Plus maybe some Dutch oven bisquits and some of that southern style cooking several of you do... 

You can see the fat beginning to drip from the salmon in the last pic.  Done right it is a slow cooking process and you need to trust the heat and not put it too close to the fire or coals. 

[Hawks Feather]

I am drooling!

[pitw]

Good cooking trumps what I do.