Citrus-Infused Salmon
an easy way to make salmon in the oven
I just got back from Alaska! It was my first time there, and I really didn’t know what to expect. I stayed in the small town of Cordova. You can only get there by ferry or airplane. It’s extremely remote. There are no roads that lead there! To go to Costco, the residents have to take a 7 hour ferry, stay the night, shop, stay the night again and take the ferry back… this blew my mind!
I went to Alaska with Copper River Salmon. Over the course of 5 days, I learned how the salmon are fished for, processed and shipped to the grocery stores near you. What I learned was extremely interesting, so I am cliff-noting it for you.. Literally everything I learned in 5 days right here in this newsletter!
What is Alaskan salmon?
Every year salmon make an arduous 300 mile migration up the waters to spawn. Because the water is so long and steep, these fish pack on abundant fat reserves to fuel their journey. Thats why it’s rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and flavorful oils, which yields the best salmon.
What are the regulations around fishing?
Alaska has the best managed fishery in the entire US and Canada. All salmon caught in Alaska is always wild. The salmon swim freely between the spring and ocean. The fishing industry is heavily regulated in Alaska. It’s open to fish from May - September. And during that time, the state announces when actual fishing can happen. It’s usually anywhere from 12-36 hour increments about 2x a week.
How do the fisherman catch the salmon?
Fisherman drive anywhere from 7-10 hours to their fishing spot to set up when it’s time. The fishing takes place with gillnets. It’s a net that is hung from cork, a few feet deep, and has weights at the bottom. It is attached to the back of the boat, then set to drift. The size of the net is a diamond shape set to catch the specific size of salmon. When the water is murky, the fish swim into it and their gills get stuck in the net. The fisherman then pull the net up, bleed the fish to remove any fishy taste then store the fish in 32 degree sea water.
What happens after the salmon is caught?
There’s a bigger boat called a tender that goes to the Fishermans boats and picks up all of the salmon. It’s weighted before it’s transferred then put into seawater to then transfer back to the dock. Once the 8 hour journey back to the dock is complete, there is a huge vessel that takes these salmon from the tender into these containers at the dock. Immediately it’s transferred into a processing facility.
How is salmon processed?
Once it makes it to this processing facility, the salmon is then taken through a line of steps to filet. It’s put on ice, then packaged up. Alaska Airlines then picks it up and ships it immediately to locations around the United States grocery stores. It’s almost always fresh and never frozen. It’s such a high quality fish, you can taste the difference.
Who can fish for salmon?
There are only 540 permits for fishing for salmon. If you don’t have a permit, you cant fish. These permits are extremely expensive, and are extremely hard to come by. It’s highly regulated to make sure the population of salmon is sustainable and can continue to grow.
If you have any questions on this process, leave it below & ill get the answer for you!
What kinds of salmon are there?
Sockeye: it’s robust and rich in flavor. It is firm, and is versatile!
Coho: milder flavor, delicate texture and is great paired with fall veggies!
Where can you get Copper river salmon?
Most Whole Foods and Bristol Farms sells copper river salmon in their fish market area between the months of May - September. It will be bright red in color, and marked as “Copper River Salmon.” You can also check their store locator, pop in your zip code to find it near you!
What if I cant get copper river salmon?
That’s fine! As you learned, all alaskan salmon is wild since the fishing is heavily regulated. Opt for alaskan salmon! But if you can ever get your hands on a Copper River Salmon, you’ll love it!
What are a few different ways I can eat salmon?
I have an air fried salmon eCookbook, it has 20 salmon recipes in it. You can try them all and find your few favorites you can rotate through!
My current favorite way to eat salmon…
Currently obsessed with Gordon Ramsey’s pan seared salmon. It’s out of this world. And so easy to make. If you’re new to cooking salmon, try it this way!
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Ok, let’s get to the new recipe!👇🏼
Citrus-Infused Salmon
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
2 salmon fillets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeds removed
2 tablespoons parley
2 tablespoons dill
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Place the salmon fillet on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
Drizzle the olive oil evenly over the salmon then sprinkle evenly with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
Slice the lemon slices thinly, then arrange them on top of the salmon. You can overlap!
Place the sheet pan in the preheated oven.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. The internal temperature should reach 145°F (63°C).
Remove the salmon from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes.
Finish with chopped herbs like parley and/or dill.
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Until next time fam! xo Jazzy
What a fun trip, and thank you for the recipe! 💛
Thank you so muchl. This sounds delicious!