Six Ways to Cook the Silver Salmon You Caught in Alaska

If you enjoy taking autumn salmon fishing trips in Alaska, then you know that you usually leave with a healthy amount of silver salmon—also known as coho salmon—to stock up in your freezer. But even this delicious, sought-after catch can get old if you cook it the same way all the time, so it is time to expand your culinary skills and learn about new ways to cook all that salmon you caught in Alaska!

• Pan fried: Pan frying is one of the easiest and quickest methods for cooking salmon, and it results in a tasty crispy skin. Heat a little olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat, season the fish with salt and pepper and cook it about five minutes on each side. Finish with a generous squeeze of lemon juice.
• Oven roasted: Roasting your salmon in the oven is another fairly simple, yet delicious way to prepare the fish. Lightly grease a baking dish, season the salmon and place it skin-side down in the dish, and cook it at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. This is a good option if you are cooking for a big group, as you can cook each piece at once.
• Broiled: This might just be the quickest method for cooking salmon—or for cooking any dinner, period! Place your oven on the broil setting, put the salmon on a cedar plank soaked in water and place it under the broiler. Check the salmon after three minutes. If it still needs to be cooked through, turn the oven off and leave it in for a couple more minutes.
• Grilled: Not a big fan of the kitchen? Grilling lets you cook your salmon the rustic way, outside! Rub the fish with olive oil, throw a little salt and pepper on it and grill for about five minutes on either side. It’s hard to go wrong with this method.
• Poached: Poached salmon is one of the healthiest dinners you can prepare for yourself. Boil water with seasoning elements in it, switch the heat off once it comes to a boil, throw your salmon in the water, cover and let simmer for about 25 minutes.
• Baked in parchment paper: This is the same as oven roasting your salmon, except that you will seal it up in parchment paper, along with lemon, herbs, olive oil and whatever other seasoning you want. The sealed parchment paper will keep all the flavor packed inside, so your fish will be extra tasty.
• Smoked: Finally, who doesn’t love smoked salmon? It is great in a dip, on a bagel with cream cheese or just by itself. There are a lot of fairly inexpensive smoker options on the market, so research the best tools and methods for you.

Those salmon fishing trips in Alaska are unforgettable—and if you play your cards right, you could enjoy the fruits of your fishing labor for months after the trip ends! Now you have even more incentive to beat your own personal record for most silver salmon caught in a day.