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Oregon Magazine’s monthly review of gustatory delights Culinary Treasures From King Neptune's Vault By Seared Lightly
Tourism has largely replaced commercial fishing as the prime source of income for coastal communities. Yet enough boats still go out to provide us a resource for such northern Pacific delicacies as: Salmon—despite the ever-increasing flow of farmed salmon from far away lands, our markets will be well stocked in the next three months with both wild fish and native hatchery harvest for both Chinook and Coho. We offer a simple and foolproof Salmon preparation: Marlene’s Savory Salmon Use a filleted (preferably from the center) boneless cut weighing a minimum of 2 pounds. Figure ½ lb. of fish per serving. Marinating times are for room temperature. 1/3 cup Olive Oil 1/3 cup Soy Sauce
Mix oil, vinegar and soy sauce with a whisk and pour into an oven-proof dish. Place the Salmon flesh side down in the marinade for 30 minutes. Then, turn the Salmon skin side down for 15 minutes. Place the Salmon, in the marinade, in a preheated 500-degree oven for 6 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the Salmon remain in the oven as it cools (20-30 min.) and you’re ready to receive congratulations. Note: this marinade penetrates the fish and keeps it moist, while adding a subtle flavor. Go this route instead of your outdoor grill and results will be consistent. Tualatin Lox We’ve enjoyed traditional Scandinavian, German and Scottish Lox recipes in our time, but none has equalled the following, obtained from former Tualatin Vineyards winery owner Virginia Fuller. The alcoholic spirits set this apart! Great weekend breakfast item, served with recipe below for spread on bagels. 5 lbs. boneless Salmon filet ½ cup Rock Salt
Mix Salt, White Pepper and Sugar and rub on both sides of the fish. Place fishin a shallow glass dish. Mix Sherry and Cognac, sprinkle on top of Salmon, trying not to disturb the rub mixture. Lay Dill sprigs under and on top of the fish. Cover with plastic wrap. Place a weight same size as the filet on top (use cast iron pan or oblong baking dish and set cans of food in it for weight). Marinate in the fridge for 5 days…every 24 hours, spoon liquid in the dish over the Salmon. After 5 days, rinse lightly, slice and serve. For Bagel Spread…finely chop 1 red Onion, mix with whipped Cream Cheese (you can buy it in this form) and 2-3 ounces of bottled Capers…a ½ lb. of Cheese is adequate. Shrimp—we find the small native north Pacific Shrimp, cooked, at all seafood retailers. These are best served cold, as is, in a Shrimp Cocktail with dressing of your choice, or tossed in a salad. Ask if they’re fresh or frozen…there’s a difference! And speaking of fresh, keep asking until you find some fresh Spot Prawns…native to deeper offshore waters from Oregon to Alaska. Buy these raw in-shell, and steam very briefly (3 min.) in a basket suspended over boiling water and covered. These should be called Sugar Prawns, they’re so sweet! These tender morsels will surpass the taste of any shrimp or prawn you’ve ever had. In the fall, you may get a bonus…red roe attached to the belly of these delicacies. Crab—there is no finer crab on earth than our native Dungeness, superior in both sweetness of flavor and tenderness. Ultimate way to enjoy this gift of the gods is to catch it yourself with baited ring or trap dropped into one of our major coastal bays during the incoming tide. When you have one apiece for each of your party, land on an open beach, build a fire (or use a portable propane cooker) and put sea water and Old Bay Crab Boil seasoning mix, to taste, into a large pot. Boil your Crab for no more than 12 minutes. Bring along some Mayonnaise mixed with a little Curry Powder…or dried Dill…for dipping the Crab. Crab & Shrimp Cakes Here’s a family recipe, concocted in defense of the very high price of shelled Dungeness Crab. This approach favors baking, rather than frying the cakes. The following recipe will feed six generously. ½ tsp. Dry Mustard ½ cup finely chopped Celery
Break up larger pieces of Crab, chop Shrimp into thirds. Mix thoroughly all ingredients, using half the Bread Crumbs. Form mixture into 3” diameter, ½” thick patties. Coat patties with remaining Bread Crumbs. Place patties on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Tuna—the Albacore Tuna school relatively close to our coastline
on a cyclical basis. As we write, commercial trawlers are bringing
a good catch to pier at our various ports and many are selling dockside
for under $2/pound. This fish carves easily into thick boneless loins
which can be marinated (1-2 hrs.), then basted with Olive Oil, Soy Sauce
and Lime juice as they roast briefly in a 450-degree oven. You can
sear smaller loin cuts
Clams & Mussels—no water needed to coax open Clams or Mussels in the shell. The natural sea juice in the shellfish mixes with the ingredients herein to form a flavorful broth that demands you dip good Bread while enjoying the mollusks. 2 lbs. live Shellfish ¼ lb. unsalted Butter
Place all ingredients in a covered saucepan, heat until steaming
simmer, continue cooking until shells open, 5-10 minutes. Remove
Shellfish and set aside. Stir Tabasco and Pepper into broth.
Place Shellfish in serving bowls, pour broth over each serving and
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Let’s
talk about seafood and its particular pleasures for Oregonians. Having
just returned from a brief visit to the Oregon coast, we are reminded of
the extent of our ocean treasures, and, sadly, the economic travails of
those who harvest this bounty.
