Each year we look forward to the first taste of fresh fish, a fish pulled right from the sea. The best food on Earth, I might add. All winter long, we eat salmon, halibut, cod, and other Alaskan seafood and meats out of our freezer. It is delicious and of course nutritious, but by spring, we are eager for fresh seafood and to feel the tug of a fish at the end of our line. And we’re lucky, because we live on Kachemak Bay, a 40-mile-long arm of the Gulf of Alaska that scientists think might be one of the most biologically productive ecosystems in the world.
There’s no better time and place to eat than summer in Alaska. Perhaps I am slightly biased on this. Forgive me. But really, where else can you eat wild fish right out of the sea? Or clams and mussels fresh from the Alaskan ocean? Here, wild berries can be gobbled by the handful, still wet with temperate rainforest dew. Or you can enjoy flavorful garden greens made tender by Alaska’s chilly summer mornings. We grill wild meats sustained by miles and miles of pristine lands. And I haven’t even mentioned Alaska’s famous carrots. Perhaps it’s the minerals in the glacier-fed soils that make them so sweet and crunchy. Some of the most discerning eaters I know (ahem, my children!) find they’re best pulled straight from the soil.
Alaskans are passionate about all things 'wild Alaska salmon'. And we hold a special place in our hearts for wild Alaska salmon skin. We dream about it. We feature it in our art, fashion and food. We use it out of utility. We write songs about it.
So why does the average person not love salmon skin? Also, what can we do to prevent our sacred, wild Alaska salmon skin from ending up in the landfill?
This is our favorite salmon cake recipe with a twist!
Instead of canned salmon, start with a whole filet of raw, wild Alaska sockeye salmon. Plus... use the skin of the salmon in the mix for added binding power, moisture and delicious flavor! Enjoy.
