Friday, October 3, 2008

Source to Plate: Smoking Landlocked Salmon

Garrett with land locked salmon, just landed.

When Garrett sliced open the large trout and looked at the pink flesh inside he realized he was not looking at the guts of a trout but a land locked salmon. The possibility of catching salmon along a river has always been for us a dream, or a nasty rumor told by some canoe guide returning from a far flung place they thought would only be reached in the imagination of the listener.

But here we were on the McPhayden River, a remote stretch of water in that region spun to us in stories, Labrador, Newfoundland. The tales were in fact true and dinner was now going to accompany land locked salmon and trout.

After our haul on the first evening on the river we filleted and fried the salmon and smoked the trout whole. Throughout the trip we refined the salmon preparation with various herb and teriyaki battering. We discovered that we enjoyed both the trout and salmon cooked in its skin, retaining the juice and allowing for a slower cook.

John, cleaning a fish by the water.

salmon fillet revealed on paddle, speckled trout is gripped securely.

from a different catch, an improvised smoker made from drift wood. John assembled it with pliable roots.

salmon is laid whole on wood above embers. coals should be hot but flame kept to a minimum.

fish is filled with pungent alder leaf and lingonberry harvested from the hill above the beach.

coals are covered with alder leaves to optimize smoke. we cooked it too fast, an hour or so.

fish is tender and flaky. it becomes finger food. verdict is still out on alder flavor.

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