Top chefs work their magic on Copper River salmon

JOY LANDALUCE

July 24, 2008 at 1:37PM AKST

An exquisite four-course dinner at the Reluctant Fisherman Inn on Saturday, July 12, showcased Copper River salmon as part of a marketing push for the flavorful wild fish.

Guests, many from the national food media, were served a meal prepared by guest chefs Jeremy Storm, Regan Reik and Dominic Cerino. Wines from Oregon wineries A-Z and Montinore accompanied the meal.

Hors d’oeuvres included bullwinkle sliders, grilled halibut cheeks of roasted Copper River salmon, fresh Windy Bay oysters and fried local razor clams.

Guests were served a first course of spinach gnocchi, goat cheese fondue and Copper River salmon caviar.

The second course consisted of Copper River tartare and homemade ricotta accompanied by braised celery.

Course three consisted of a Copper River salmon charcuterie presented on an oiled cedar plank with fennel sauerkraut and warm potato salad with a grain mustard vinaigrette.

The main course consisted of roasted Copper River salmon with a morel mushroom duxelles wrapped in grilled romaine leaves. Finally a dessert duet of rhubarb gelato and wild berry baba finished the evening’s meal.

Copper River Prince William Sound Marketing Association president Thea Thomas welcomed the guests to the media event and dinner.

“We have chosen this date of July 12 to emphasize the long season of the Copper River and Prince William Sound salmon,” Thomas said.

Guest food writer Carolyn Jung said that she was impressed by a community that embraces its fishing industry.

“I was surprised at how many 20-somethings were doing commercial fishing,” Jung said. “I had expected the fishermen, for the most part, to be all older, with their children not wanting to follow in their footsteps. I truly think what I will most remember is the way of life there in this small, close-knit fishing town.”

Of the dinner, Jung said, “Wow, it was all good. And I mean that, especially because most multi-course dinners don’t have that level of consistency.

“If I have to pick only one favorite, it is probably the charcuterie plate. It was so inventive, and it really highlighted the salmon,” Jung said. “I’ve had fish sausages before, but none compared to the salmon sausage that Regan and Dominic made.”

The community graciously opened up to its guests in true Cordova fashion for the Copper River Wild Salmon festival weekend.

It brought back memories for neighbors who talked about the good old days, when guests would come in from the Matanuska Valley bearing fresh vegetables to go along with a Cordova seafood spread that could be reserved for royalty.

Adding local flavors
From the onset, chefs Dominic Cerino and Regan Reik had in mind to serve foods that were native to the Cordova area and prepare them in ways that could only be found in a five-star restaurant.

Cerino had been to Cordova before and was well-versed in the history of the Copper River salmon. Because Cordova used to be the razor clam capital of the world, he insisted that razors join the menu as another facet in telling Cordova’s story.

Cerino recruited Reik to assist with preparing a five-star dinner. Reik began his career as a dishwasher working under Cerino and was now recognized by his mentor as Cleveland’s top seafood chef.

Chef Jeremy Storm was recruited from the Orca Lodge. Storm immediately volunteered to obtain the items on a grocery list submitted by the chef from Cleveland, which was no small task.

Reluctant Fisherman owner Sylvia Lange chose the wine for the dinner.

Procuring the seafood locally turned out to be as easy as knocking on a neighbor’s door to borrow a cup of sugar. And as it would turn out, that would actually happen on multiple occasions when looking for menu ingredients.

Pip Fillingham of Copper River Seafoods supplied the fresh red salmon.

Within an hour of arriving, the chefs were busy in the Reluctant Fisherman kitchen curing the gravlax for the weekend’s soirée. With the fresh Copper River red salmon sitting on the counter staring them in the face, the chefs couldn’t help but cook some up right then and there.

Reik said the next day that even though he had eaten Copper River sockeye in the past, he has never had it so fresh.

From the time the chefs arrived on Wednesday night until they began serving the appetizers on Saturday, they spent most of their time deep in the recesses of the tiny maze-like Reluctant kitchen, planning and preparing the delicacies that they would introduce.

Bill Gilbert of Trident Seafoods supplied the halibut cheeks. The chefs prepared the halibut cheeks by grilling them and serving them in a crisp wonton cone with avocado mash and organic tomato sorbet.

Not only was the halibut served in a unique format resembling an ice cream cone, the combination of the flavors melded exquisitely enough to garner the praise of writer Julia Rutland as her favorite item on the menu.

Ken Roemhildt of Seafood Sales supplied the razor clams. Originally intended as a main course, the chefs transferred the razors to the appetizer menu as small 1-1/2 inch square morsels, fried and topped with a summer sorrel coulis, a pureed mixture of reduced chardonnay, creme fraiche and fresh sorrel leaves, which have the flavor of lemon and lime. They quickly flew off the cedar appetizer platter.

When the chefs were looking for a taste of local game, resident butcher and fisherman Steve Johnson stepped up to the plate and donated the last of his moose burger for the chefs to make sliders to serve as an appetizer.

For the media tour guests, it was their first time tasting moose meat and living up to the reputation of typical foodies, they appeared thrilled to try a new flavor.

Dave Chipman of Windy Bay Oysters supplied the oysters. While not on the original menu, when the chefs were informed that Cordova is also home to world-class oysters, they immediately put in an order and added them to the appetizer menu.

Pulled from the ocean just a day before the event, the sweet and extra tiny Windy Bay oysters did not disappoint.

Cerino said that he had tasted smoked Copper River salmon caviar in the past and wondered if it was possible to obtain some for the dinner.

Christa Hoover of Arpeggio’s Salmon Caviar donated the last of her home reserve to the dinner. The smoked caviar was featured in the first course in combination with amaranth gnocchi and goat cheese fondue.

The dish offered many their first opportunity to experience the local delicacy with a combination of flavors that was described as “surprisingly amazing” by one local resident.

Loving ‘salmon sausage’
A favorite dish among the food writers and residents alike was the Copper River salmon charcuterie, or “salmon sausage” as it was often referred to throughout the evening. The flavor and texture was beyond compare. In the days following the event, the “salmon sausage” was still a topic of conversation.

As Reik told his dinner audience about the dessert he was about to present, he acknowledged the support he received from the community in locating the exact ingredients he needed for preparing his dishes.

He praised the owner of Camtu’s store for going to her personal refrigerator and pulling out a jar with about 2 ounces of a special ingredient that he could not locate anywhere locally.

She eagerly handed him her last jar. It was just enough. It was just right.

When he discovered that the rhubarb he ordered did not arrive with the rest of his grocery list, Reik was informed that a local woman had a garden with wild rhubarb stalks standing about three feet tall and was willing to donate as much as he needed to the dinner.

He was once again truly appreciative of the willingness and generosity of the Cordova residents to help out in any way.

Within 20 minutes, Neva Nolan was giving Reik a lesson about pulling rhubarb stalks without injuring the plant. The wild rhubarb was used for creating a creamy rhubarb gelato which was served over a portion of wild berry baba. Once again the flavors combined exquisitely.

Immediately following the dinner, Reik, still attired in full chef’s regalia, hand-delivered a “care package” to his rhubarb gardener, to ensure that she received a sampling of the items served on the menu.

Prime Select Seafoods donated a case of smoked salmon as a surprise door prize. Mark Hoover donated his photography skills for the event.

Per and Neva Nolan offered the use of their Chevy Tahoe to transport the guests during their stay, and Butch Cole offered the use of his PA system in exchange for one of Malani O’Toole’s CDs.

“I enjoyed touring the cannery, the glacier, and the chance to meet folks in town. I seldom get the small-town experience and have rarely been welcomed into such a tight knit community before,” food writer Jacqueline Church commented.

She added that “the charcuterie may have been the highlight for me. … It showed off the salmon with simple flavors and savory and piquant complements.”

Executive chef Adam Newton of the Oceanaire Seafood Room in Atlanta was impressed with the small-town camaraderie and hospitality displayed by the community. Prior to departing he humbly mentioned that the trip to Cordova “made him want to be a better person” and called it “the trip of a lifetime.”

Food writer Lia Huber was thankful for a “kaleidoscopic view of what sustainable fishing really means — from fleet to community and beyond.”

Huber’s impressions of her trip?

“The latte-like river spilling out into the flats, the generosity of each and every person I met, the empty docks and how there’s a tidal-like flow of fishermen in and out of town and the indelible mark that makes on the community.”

Brandy Johnson, the executive director for the Copper River/PWS Marketing Association, organized and hosted the media tour.

“Based on the feedback I have received from the chefs and the writers, this media tour was a huge success,” Johnson said.

“They all seemed genuinely interested in the story of the Copper River salmon and were impressed at how as a whole community, we are steadfast in our support in maintaining the sustainability of our resource,” he added.

“The dinner was an experience I will never forget. I think all but three seats were filled in the Reluctant’s dining room. Sylvia and her crew did an excellent job in setting up and serving the multi-course five-star meal,” Johnson said.

“As folks were leaving, they were asking me when we were going to do this again. I hope that this is something that can be done on an annual basis. Cordova residents should be proud.”

Copper River/Prince William Sound Marketing Executive Director Brandy Johnson contributed to this story. Joy Landaluce can be reached at (907) 424-7181.