Copper River Salmon with Gochujang Sauce
Copper River salmon has a way of showing up right when you need it — and this Korean-style take from Peggy Fiandaca of LDV Winery might be the best excuse yet to fire up the pan this season. Forget the same old lemon-and-dill routine; this recipe brings the heat (literally) with a gochujang-based marinade that's spicy, funky, and just a little sweet, built to stand up to the rich, buttery texture of wild-caught Sena Sea salmon.
The magic is in the sauce — Korean red chili paste, soy, fresh ginger and garlic, a bright hit of lemon, and a finish of toasted sesame oil. It's the kind of glaze that caramelizes beautifully in the pan, giving the salmon a deep, almost lacquered crust while keeping the inside perfectly flaky. Served over rice with a scatter of lemon zest and scallions, it's simple enough for a weeknight but special enough to plate up for guests.
Copper River Wild-Caught Salmon Korean-Style
Serves 4. Recipe by Peggy Fiandaca
Ingredients -
4 skin-on center-cut wild-caught salmon, 6 oz portions. Copper River Salmon is wonderful when available. If you do not live next to where the fish are caught, do not shy away from flash-frozen salmon from a reputable fisherman like Sena Sea that focuses on sustainable, abundance fishing in Alaska.
Fish Preparation -
Keep fish frozen until ready to eat
20-30 minutes to thaw in cold water with bag sealed
Once thawed, remove from packaging, rinse in cold water, pat dry
Marinade/Sauce -
¼ cup of Korean red chili paste – gochujang
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 fresh lemon, squeezed; plus the lemon zest to garnish
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, plus extra to drizzle to finish
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (use a rasp for grating)
2 cloves of garlic grated with a rasp (or finely chopped)
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper for seasoning
Directions -
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Make the marinade/sauce in a small bowl.
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Put salmon in a large bowl and add about 3 to 4 tablespoons of the marinade to coat the fish thoroughly. Reserve the rest of the sauce to baste the fish. Cover and refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes.
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Remove salmon from marinade and pat dry with a paper towel.
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Salt/pepper to adjust seasonings.
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In a medium pan, add about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil; sauté the salmon skin-side up for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the salmon over, brush with the remaining sauce, and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
To Serve -
Check for and remove any pin bones before plating. Place salmon on rice. Drizzle with toasted sesame oil, add a sprinkling of lemon zest, and scallions. Serve hot.
Wine Pairing -
Pair with LDV Winery’s 2017 Rhyolite Petite Sirah (barrel aged for 60 months) or any full-bodied red wine.
Learn more about LDV Winery at https://ldvwinery.com/
Listen to more Big Blend Radio “Wine Time with Peggy” Podcast episodes: https://wine-time-peggy.podbean.com/
