Over the past 2 weeks, along with you, we here at WKRS have watched in horror what has unfolded in Haiti. We have engaged locally and made donations to bring awareness, a sense of dignity, and financial support to the Haitian people who have lost everything.
If you have not already, please make a donation to one of the organizations that is currently on the ground in Haiti, ideally one that has been there for a some time already, such as Partner’s in Health.
Also, consider educating yourself about the socially produced aspects of this disaster. To be sure, all natural disasters have human components, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina being an example. Haiti is no exception. One pointed documentary you might try: Aristide and the Endless Revolution.
In regards the social components of natural disasters, there is another potential disaster looming in Alaska – Pebble Mine. Pebble mine is the largest proposed open pit goldmine in the world. The proposed site is at the headwaters of Bristol Bay, where fisherpeople catch the majority of Alaska’s salmon harvest each year – last year, 20 million Red Salmon in the Bay alone!
If this mine is dug, it will pose an immense threat to Bristol Bay and Alaska’s salmon fisheries, not to mention all the jobs created by it. The mine will create toxic pools held back by large dams. These would be susceptible to earthquakes. The data suggests that a 7.0 earthquake, the same level that took place in Haiti, would bring down the dams. If you remember, though, Alaska lies on a fault-line that produced an earthquake of magnitude 8.4 or 8.6, depending on the source.
Go to our Get Involved page for links to learn more about Pebble Mine. Hopefully, the tragedy in Haiti can teach us something – maybe that natural disasters are not purely natural, and that human choices now can decide the fate of the people, economies, and even fisheries of tomorrow.
Wild Kenai Salmon enjoyed what can only be called a successful first production season this fall through the solstice We look forward to 2010, continuing growth, more satisfied customers, and production season number two.
We are also excited to announce that our salmon is now being sold by four vendors across three cities. You can find us at:
Retail Relay and Rebecca’s Natural Food in Charlottesville, VA,
Organic Alaska in Anchorage, AK and
Pasta and Provisions, in Charlotte, NC.
Thank you our customers, vendors and everyone who has made this company a success thus far. Please keep spreading the word!
Borrowed and altered from the book, 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer
Salmon Curry with Turmeric, Garlic and Coconut
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 1 medium-large fillet of frozen Sockeye salmon (~1.5 lbs)
- 1.5-2 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp turmeric
- 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp sunflower or canola oil
- 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 Thai, or hot Jalapeno pepper
- Optional: fresh cilantro and fried coconut as garnish
Cut salmon into dinner portions. Chop the garlic. Rub garlic, turmeric and 1.5 tsp salt into to the salmon and marinate overnight in the fridge or for at least 30 min.
Heat oil in a large pan until quite hot, but before it begins to smoke. Place marinated salmon pieces on pan to sear. Sear about 1 min for each side. Pour in coconut milk. Add black pepper. Cut pepper into several pieces (leaving seeds in) and place in coconut oil.
Cook until salmon is opaque, firm and pink throughout. Taste. If you prefer more salt, add it now.
To garnish: while salmon is cooking, in a separate, small pan, fry coconut shavings in 1 tsp oil. Once coconut browns, remove from pan. Chop cilantro. Provide garnish either directly on dish or in separate bowls.
When you purchase frozen salmon, there are several good, practiced ways to go about thawing it in preparation for cooking. Look below to see which method best suits your timeframe and preference.
It is important to note that one should handle salmon before, during, and especially after thawing quite gently. If handled roughly, the fillet can split open, which detracts from its appearance, but does not affect taste.
- Thaw in the fridge overnight – simply place your frozen salmon, in its package, on plate and set in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. If you plan to cook the salmon for dinner and rise early, you could also place start the thaw. Using this method for thawing will take about 12 hours.
- Thaw in cool water – in its package, place the frozen salmon in a bowl (or the sink) of cool water. It will thaw completely in 2-3 hours. Consequently, if you planned on thawing in the fridge, and find that your salmon is not fully thawed as as its cook time draws near, place the salmon in cool water to finish the thaw quickly.
- Thaw in lukewarm water – if you need to thaw very quickly, you can do so in lukewarm water in about an hour.
It is worthwhile to note that several factors go into whether salmon fillets do or do not split.
- Your best insurance against splitting is #1 salmon that is handled and filleted with the greatest care after being caught. If a fillet starts its life under poor conditions, it will not hold up well.
- Use a very sharp knife while cutting the fillet.
- If you are worried about your salmon splitting, and plan on cutting it into pieces before cooking, we suggest cutting it while it is still partially frozen. This helps the meat stay together while in contact with the knife. Once the salmon is cut into pieces, it is less likely to split.
If you have any additional questions, please feel free to send them to graham@wildkenaisalmon.com.
Our Traditional Smoked Salmon Appetizer
Serves many
Ingredients
- A serving of Borealis Smoked Red
- Bread or crackers of your choice
- Cream cheese
- Red Vidalia onions
- Black Pepper
- Optional: capers
Slice onions and bread if necessary. Arrange all ingredients on a serving platter, and then garnish the cream cheese with black pepper.
Note: we serve our salmon this way 90% of the time when we eat or share it with others. It never gets old.
This morning i awoke to darkness and the feel of earning morning. Somewhat confused, due to my recent arrival in Alaska and not being used to waking in the dark, i wondered at the time. It felt very early; still, i awoke with a peaceful sense of rest. I then looked to my left to behold deep red hues, like that of a bed of coals, sliding through the crack in my doorway. A moment later, i realized it was the sunrise.
Not early at all, i awoke to Alaska’s 9am sunrise. Slipping from bed, i tiptoed across the floor out into the main room of our strawbale house. Taking a seat in a rocking chair, i pulled on a shawl and began to meditate to the new day. I had never seen a sunrise like this in Alaska, having lived in the shadow of a mountain most my life.
What a day to begin our first round of smoking on this trip to Alaska!
The pictures i post do not do justice to the incredible beauty of this sight. Still, i hope you enjoy.
Here at Wild Kenai Red Salmon, we are commited to being engaged citizens and an engaged business. We care about our community and the world. That is why we source our fish from sustainable Alaskan fisheries and donate a portion of our profits to protect and heal the fish and the sea.
Additionally, we plan on being the very first wild caught, 100% organically brined, Alaskan smoked salmon on the market. We already use organic ingredients in our brine. Our set our goal for a 100% wild and organic product at next season.
Check out an awesome article by Pat Clark about a First Nations community building a smokehouse for social justice. To quote the article: “A smokehouse would serve as a first stage in the creation of a local First Nations-operated food-preparation industry.”
We beleive in the power of small scale, artisan, and regionally focused food production. Let us know if you hear of any other projects of this kind, or if you want to know more about how to get invovled in your own local/regional food economy!
email graham@wildkenaisalmon.com
29 Nov 2009: Wild Kenai Wisdom – Wild Kenai Red Salmon’s blog – launches today!
We look forward to being a trusted source for news about Alaskan lifestyle and important events, as well as a transparent and open link to the artisan process of smoking Alaskan salmon. We commit to updating the blog at least weekly, so check back regularly to see what is going on.
Thank you and take care!
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