Visions of a Potlatch Feast



My inspiration for dinner yesterday came from some PBS program (sorry I did not pay enough attention to catch the name of the show). All I know is that they were preparing a beautiful filet of salmon freshly snatched from the waters of the Pacific Northwest. I've had a hankering lately for cedar-planked grilled salmon so my dinner plans were set as I watched them filet, grill, poach, and generally prepare salmon more ways than I've ever thought about.

There are no fresh fish markets in Dallas (hard to imagine one on the prairie lands around here) and Dallas is a long ways from the Pacific Northwest. I was hoping to to find at the very least a frozen version at the local Albertsons. I did find salmon, but with a small caveat "COLOR ADDED." The sign said "Fresh" salmon and while it may have been fresh, the truth is it was farm-raised salmon which doesn't produce the beautiful pink color that wild salmon does.

I was on a mission for cedar-planked, perfectly seasoned salmon much like this description from the Williams-Sonoma Potlatch seasoning: "This aromatic blend was inspired by the natural flavorings Pacific Northwest Indians once used preparing for their ceremonial feasts known as Potlatches".

So I bought a nice-sized filet (after all it WAS salmon, not some boring white fish made to look like salmon). I seasoned it with Potlatch and grilled it on a cedar plank.

Umm, I'll hold out for wild salmon next time. Not even the Potlatch seasoning could enhance the weak flavor and obvious fat content of the meat. The little guys are more fatty because, well, they've been raised in a pen. Less exercise equals more fat for fish and people. And a little known fact about the color-added bit - salmon farmers can choose coloring for their salmon from a palette of colors just like using paint chips to chose a color for a room in your house. Yum, that whets my appetite!

I'm guessing that Whole Foods Market or Central Market will be my best bet next time I'm in the mood for a Potlatch celebration. Not quite as close as Albertsons, but not nearly as far as the Pacific Northwest either.




Posted: Sun - June 26, 2005 at 07:41 AM          

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