King Salmon With Wild Roses

"This is the best meal of the summer," declared our crew. The combination of ingredients speak to the very reason we have chosen to be set-netters, rather than big boat fishermen. As set-netters, we have one foot on shore, where our gardens as well as the wild greens grow tall under the midnight sun and ample rain. Our other foot is on the seas, where we can pull sparkling salmon from the waves. Every summer there is a special period of time where our lush hillsides are blanketed with wild roses and the air is velvety with their deep perfume. This year the rose season coincided with king salmon swimming by, and I came up with this recipe out of a desire to honor of the bounty our summertime land and ocean. 

King Salmon With Wild Roses:

King salmon fillets, skinned, and cut into individual portion sizes

2 Tablespoons or more butter for pan frying

1/2 cup cream cheese

1/2 cup half and half

2-3 teaspoons mustard

2-3 teaspoons lemon juice

3 snipped wild chives

salt and pepper to taste

1 wild rose per portion of salmon

fresh mint

fresh oregano

Or whatever fresh herbs you happen to have growing in your garden

First make topping sauce. Combine cream cheese and half and half, blending until well combined, Adjust the consistency by adding more half and half or more cream cheese until you are happy. Add mustard, lemon juice, and salt and pepper, mixing well. Add wild chives. Refrigerate until serving time.

Heat a cast iron frying pan to medium heat, and melt butter in the pan until it is just foamy. Place the portions of king salmon into the pan (presentation side down) and cook for 2 minutes. Flip the portions over, cook for another 2 minutes, then turn the heat off, place a lid on the pan, and let sit for a few minutes. The fish will continue to cook. Before plating, check for doneness by inserting a fork into the deepest part of a portion and flaking the fish. It should be just barely not translucent.

Place one portion on each plate, top with 2 tablespoons sauce. Drop petals from one rose onto each fillet, and snip a sprig of mint and a sprig of oregano over the top. 

Enjoy!