Frozen salmon is pictured in this July 2020 photograph. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion )

Frozen salmon is pictured in this July 2020 photograph. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion )

Kalifornsky Kitchen: A freezer full of salmon

Fresh fish deserves to be enjoyed in a pure form.

By Victoria Petersen

For the Clarion

Living on the Kenai Peninsula has so many benefits, including easy access to some of the best and freshest salmon in the world. Over the winter we made through our reserves of frozen fillets in anticipation of the fresh stuff to come in summer. Well, we made it to summer, despite a worldwide pandemic. I wasn’t sure if we would get salmon this year. At some point in April I just accepted that some things just might not happen, but I’m glad we managed to get some sockeye in the freezer and in the smoker.

Throughout this column’s short life, I’ve given recipes and ideas for how to use up the salmon that’s been waiting in the freezer. But what about fresh salmon — fish so fresh it was swimming in the Kasilof River just hours ago? My recommendation? Keep it simple. Throw that fish on the grill with some olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper … that’s all you need, really. Fresh fish deserves to be enjoyed in a pure form, in my opinion.

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