Wild Alaskan Copper River Sockeye Salmon

What: The first WILD Alaskan Sockeye Salmon of the season, fresh from Copper River, Alaska. When: Arriving to your favorite employee-owned grocery store this Memorial Day – Monday, May 28th. Where: At the fresh seafood counter in the deli of your favorite savings destination, WinCo Foods. For how long: While supplies last! This delicious Sockeye Salmon from Copper River will only be available for a limited time.

What makes Alaskan WILD Sockeye Salmon from Copper River so special? The river itself. It is the challenging 300 miles that these salmon have to go through to reach their spawning grounds, with very little chance to stop to eat, that forces the salmon to store extra supplies of omega-3 fatty acids; which in turn makes Copper River Salmon some of the most prized and delicious in the world. Its taste is so famous that it inspires celebrations throughout the North West as the first catch of the season is made. At WinCo Foods, we’re proud to bring you this quality product at our famous low prices. Find it at the seafood counter of your local WinCo Foods while supplies last.

Source: Kristine Kidd

Makes 2 servings

1 large handful alder wood chips (optional)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
3⁄4 pound wild Alaskan salmon fillet
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Grated zest of 1⁄2 lemon
Olive oil

Sautéed Cherry Tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons minced red onion
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
12-ounce basket cherry tomatoes (preferably half red and half gold), each cut in half
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

If using the wood chips, place them in a small bowl; cover with water and soak for 20 minutes.

Add the seeds to a small skillet over medium heat. Toast until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Grind the seeds coarsely in a mortar or spice grinder. Place the salmon skin side down on a plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then the ground seeds and lemon zest. Brush with olive oil. Let marinate while preparing the grill.

If using the wood chips, drain the chips, and place in a smoker box or in a disposable foil pan. If using a gas grill, place the smoker box or foil pan directly atop a burner and preheat the grill to medium-high. If using a charcoal grill, prepare medium-high coals. Place the smoker box or foil pan directly atop the coals. Cover the grill until the wood chips give off smoke, about 5 minutes.

If not using the wood chips, prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct-heat cooking over medium high heat.

Place the salmon skin side down on the grill. Cover the grill and cook the salmon without turning over until it is just cooked through, moving to a cooler position or decreasing the heat if the skin is browning too quickly, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the tomatoes: Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and red pepper and sauté until the onion is almost tender, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauté until tender and starting to juice, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut the salmon into 2 pieces and transfer to plates. Spoon the sautéed tomatoes over and serve right away.

For starters, a 3.5oz fillet of wild Alaska salmon contains MORE vitamin D than a glass of milk: (http://www.alaskaseafood.org/foodservice/news/march08_news/health.html)

Then there are omega-3s. Derived from the layer of omega-3 fatty acids found between the skin and the underside of the fillet, omega-3s give our salmon their renowned succulence and provide essential EPA and DHA nutrients that benefit a whole host of vital internal functions.

Omega-3s from seafood are likely to benefit health in the following ways:

• Omega-3s lower the chance of sudden cardiac death and the risk of a first heart attack
• They stabilize abnormal heart rhythms
• They reduce the chance of having a second heart attack
• Omega-3s may stabilize plaques (deposits that can clog arteries) in blood vessels, which can fatally rupture.
• They can also encourage the regression of plaques in arteries

Additionally, omega-3s control over-reactive immune responses in such conditions as rheumatoid arthritis, allergies and asthma

They may reduce the chance of developing several degenerative conditions, such as age-related macular degeneration and Alzheimer’s disease

They may reduce the development and severity of several mental disorders, such as depression, bipolar disorder and hostile and aggressive behavior

And lastly, omega-3s are critical in the diets of pregnant women for the optimum development of the brain and eye during fetal life, infancy and childhood

More than just omega-3s, salmon are an incredible source of high quality protein with low amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat.

Source: CopperRiverSalmon.org