Head to Prairie Grass Cafe (601 Skokie Blvd., Northbrook; 847-579-1240) tonight (and this weekend) for the First of the season Columbia River wild Alaskan King salmon with first of the season Klug Farm Asparagus, broken mustard herb vinaigrette $43.
The Spring-run of Columbia River King Salmon is recognized as “some of the best salmon in the world – better than the highly marketed Copper River salmon.” http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/612565
Millions of years of evolution have gone into creating the world’s most flavorful fish, the wild Columbia River King Salmon. With an oil content as high as 22 percent it even out ranks its popular cousin from the Alaskan Copper River which weighs in with an oil content reaching only 18 percent.
Since salmon don’t feed once they reach fresh water they’ll spend their lives in the ocean building up energy reserves in the form of oil which is intended to sustain their treacherous journey back upstream to the spawning grounds from which their life began. The spring-run salmon which navigate the powerful waters of the Columbia River basin will be up against over 2000 miles of waterways. By comparison the Copper River salmon have a steep 300 mile journey. These massive oil reserves required for this long journey is what gives the Columbia River King its amazing flavor.
Also known as the Chinook Salmon, the Columbia River King salmon have played a major role in the livelihood of the Pacific Northwest Chinook Indians as not only a major source of food but also a spiritual and economic resource as well. The Chinook tribe understood that catching these salmon early in their journey was essential in finding the fish at their healthiest. This also meant a maximum oil reserve ensuring the best possible flavor which made the salmon a valuable commodity. Today that practice holds true.
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