Wild Alaskan Salmon with Lemon & Garlic Pan Potatoes

As of late I have been really missing living in Washington State. I miss the weather (seriously), I miss the Sound, I miss the mountains, and I miss the trees along with the beautiful trails on which one could run. And, let's face it, for a foodie, it doesn't get much better than living in the PACNW. Within 30 minutes of my home I had a butcher who sold grass fed beef and sugar free jerky, sausage, and bacon;  I had a health/natural foods market, and Trader Joe's. In the summer we had glorious farmer's markets with gorgeous local produce, meats, and wild caught fish, and in the fall we had apple orchards, and pumpkin patches. Getting wild-caught, Alaskan Salmon was easy, and not a drain on the pocket book.  I love cold water fish. Salmon, trout, steelhead...they are the best. I have even caught them myself (with the exception of salmon), gutted, cleaned, and cooked them up, because this girl can fish. It was the ability to go fishing in mountain lakes and streams, and the ability to be able to obtain wild salmon that perhaps made me not want to leave the most. 

So you can imagine my joy when I happened upon some wild caught Alaskan Salmon (from the Copper River of all places) in the freezer section of my local grocery...here in Texas. I was practically doing summersaults in the aisle! So, of course I bought some. 

I had initially hoped to pair it with roasted sweet potatoes, but I forgot that I had already used them. Since potatoes seem to be caveman acceptable these days, I peeled some up, and pan cooked them in bacon grease, and added some green beans with toasted almonds on the side. This meal was simple, but seriously, out of the park..and it truly helped that it was a rainy day, so I truly felt like I was transported out west.

                          

Roasted Wild Alaskan Salmon

24 oz Sockeye Salmon Filet *this recipe makes 6 servings or some serious leftovers

1 TBS Coconut Aminos or wheat free Tamari

2 tsp Texas Pete's hot sauce

1/4 tsp granulated garlic

pinch of sea salt

8 grinds of freshly cracked pepper

The juice of half of a lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Combine all ingredients except the salmon in a small bowl, and stir to combine. Place salmon skin side down on the prepared baking sheet, and carefully pour the marinade over the top of the fish making sure to coat evenly (use a pastry brush if you need to to cover the entire surface of the meat). Place into oven and cook for 15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily.

Pan Roasted Potatoes with Lemon & Garlic

6 large potatoes (pick your poison, yukon gold, red, or russet), peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 1 inch slices.

2 TBS bacon grease

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp pepper

4 cloves of garlic, peeled, and smashed into pieces

The juice of half of a lemon

1 TBS of fresh, flat leaf parsley chopped

Heat bacon grease in a large, cast iron skillet over med-high heat. Add the potatoes, and fry stirring every few minutes. Once they begin to brown, reduce heat to medium, and add the garlic and S&P. Continue cooking for about 25 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender (cooking time may vary depending on the type of potato you use). Squeeze lemon juice over the potatoes, and stir in parsley. Serve warm with your choice of protein.