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

Metal art by David Morris is showcased in “Steel Sentiments” at the Kenai Art Center in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Remembering through metal

“Steel Sentiments” is a solo show by metal artist David Morris.

Art by Anna Widman is showcased in “Wonder and Wander” at the Kenai Art Center in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
‘Something for everyone to wonder and wander about’

Artists Theresa Ritter, Susan Watkins and Anna Widman are showcased at the Kenai Art Center through July 3.

These little “cookies” are loaded with nuts and fortified with coconut oil to boost fat and calories.
A (massive) meal made with love

These banana oatmeal energy bars are loaded with nuts and fortified with coconut oil to boost fat and calories.

Herman Stelter, seen here in front of his home in the Kenai River canyon, was another of the Kings County Mining Company members to stay in Alaska. (U.S. Forest Service photo, circa 1910s)
Mary Penney and her 1898 Alaska Adventure — Part 9

Brooklynite Mary L. Penney seemed to know that she was not ready to settle into middle age and sedately grow old.

Larry Bernbeck poses for a photo with Tugster on Thursday, June 5, 2025 in Homer, Alaska. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)
A long-term dream, realized in miniature

‘Tugster’, a flat-bottom boat replica, measures 14 feet, 10 inches.

Local musician Silas Luke Jones performs blindfolded during his performance at the inaugeral HomerFest on the Homer Spit in Homer, Alaska on Saturday, June 7, 2025. (Chloe Pleznac/Homer News)
Inaugural ‘HarborFest’ draws hundreds to Spit over weekend

The inaugural event was aimed at bringing tourists into the area during the slower, early summer season.

A flyer for the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank’s Spring Festival, set for June 20, 2025. (Provided by Kenai Peninsula Food Bank)
Food bank’s annual spring festival set for June 20

The event will feature a free lunch and informational fair.

tease
Inspiring a multitude of imaginings

June First Friday invites viewers to encounter multimedia art experiences.

People dance in celebration of the Fishermen’s Totem Pole in Hoonah on Friday, May 30, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Hoonah’s rich fishing history remembered through totem pole

The story of fishermen carved — “all of us in the past, all of us in the future, and all of us now.”

Most Read