This March 16, 2015  photo shows grilled coho salmon with sesame celery relish  in Concord, NH. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

This March 16, 2015 photo shows grilled coho salmon with sesame celery relish in Concord, NH. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

Firm flesh, bright flavor with silver salmon

Coho, also known as “silver” salmon for its bright silver sides, offers a lighter, more distinctly flavored fish than king or sockeye. Coho’s orange-red flesh is moderately fatty and flakes well.

“For fresh, it’s great to just think about what’s coming out of the garden,” says Laura Cole, owner and executive chef at 229 Parks in Alaska’s Denali National Park, who often grills her coho and crisps the skin. “Because it has a firmer flesh and brighter flavor because of lack of fat, you can pair it with fresh olive tapenade, or because the basil and arugula are coming in strong, do pesto.” Lo suggests slowly poaching coho in olive oil for a softer textured fish.

Recommended preparations: grilled, broiled, sauteed, poached in oil or butter, and smoked.

Often found: Often smoked; in sushi as crispy salmon skin roll; as steaks, filets and whole at fish counters.

Availability: Year-round frozen;fresh mid-June through late October.


Grilled Coho with Sesame Celery Relish

Always check salmon for bones. To do this, gently rub your hand over the flesh, going against the grain. The bones should be in a line running the length of the fish. Use tweezers to remove.

Start to finish: 20 minutes

Servings: 6

4 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 scallions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, plus extra for brushing

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

2 pounds coho salmon, skin on

Toasted sesame seeds

Heat the grill to medium-high.

In a medium bowl, stir together the celery, scallions, garlic, lime zest and juice, and the toasted sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside.

Brush the salmon on both sides with additional sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook on the grill for 3 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Serve with the celery relish and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

More in Life

Photo provided by Sara Hondel
Sara Hondel stands with a leprechaun during Sweeney’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Soldotna on Sunday. Green, leprechauns and Nugget the Moose poured down the streets for the 34th annual parade hosted by the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce. Under cloudy skies — but fortunately no precipitation — a procession of viridescent celebrants representing businesses and organizations brought festivities to an array of attendees lining Redoubt Avenue.
Go green or go home

Soldotna turns out for St. Patrick’s Day parade

William Raymond “W.R.” Benson (front row, far right) poses along with the rest of the Sigma Nu fraternity at Albion College in Michigan in about 1908. Despite a lifetime spent in the public eye, Benson was apparently seldom captured on film. This image is one of the few photos of him known to exist. (photo from the 1908 Albion College yearbook via ancestry.com)
Hometown Booster: The W.R. Benson Story — Part 1

W.R. Benson was a man almost constantly in motion

Will Morrow (courtesy)
Obsolete?

As it turns out, I still use a whole lot of “obsolete” things

File
Minister’s Message: In search of your heavenly place

There is a heavenly place that is real and not just figurative

Dancers rehearse the all-company jazz routine “Steamed Heat,” from the Broadway musical “The Pajama Game.” (Photo provided by Forever Dance Alaska)
Forever Classical

‘A Night with the Classics’ channels old Hollywood with a ‘red carpet awards night’ vibe

Tantanmen, a 30-minute ramen dish, doesn’t sacrifice flavor or wholesomeness for speed. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
Ramen that satisfies

Tantanmen features a milky, nutty broth and can be on the table in under 30 minutes

Sara DeVolld works on “Towards the Sun,” a dress she designed that was featured in February’s Trend Alaska 2024 Fashion Show. (Photo provided by Shona DeVolld)
Fashioning with light

Soldotna student’s designs featured in statewide fashion shows

Sandra Hüller portrays Sandra Voyter in “Anatomy of a Fall.” (Promotional photo courtesy Neon)
On the Screen: ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ is dense, rapturous

I’m disappointed I had to wait so long to get the opportunity to see this film

An Alaska Native man walks towards an Orthodox church in a screenshot from “Sacred Alaska.” (Promotional image courtesy Simon Scionka)
Church to screen film exploring Orthodox connection to Alaska Native cultures

“Sacred Alaska” screening will be held at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center and start at 6 p.m.

Most Read