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THE RAT OF THE SEA . That’s how Chris, our guide, derisively describes my freshly caught pink salmon. It’s my last morning of fishing in Haida Gwaii (the Queen Charlotte Islands) and I’m nowhere near my fish quota, so I’ll be damned if I’ll throw back a perfectly good dinner.
The effort required to land even this maligned pink fish in the choppy, frigid waters of the North Pacific required not only that I assume a goofy, spread-eagled stance, but that two of the women on the boat grasp my waist to prevent me from falling headlong into the drink.
Notwithstanding, Chris tosses the six-pounder back in. Noting my slackened expression, he concedes that the fish "fought hard…for a pink." Before I have time to lick my wounds, word comes over the radio that some 10-year-old kid has just landed a 47-pound chinook only a few hundred metres from us. "Funny thing, this fishing," Chris says.
I wasn’t keen to go fishing in the first place. The ocean and I have had an uneasy relationship, stemming from the exact day my parents decided that having a five-year-old kid shouldn’t stop them from seeing Jaws. But for this ocean voyage, I was assured something other than the usual small-boat, big-ocean Pacific salmon fishing experience. Instead there would be luxury accommodations, a five-star hotel perched on a cliff off isolated Langara Island. Gastronomic fireworks were promised from hotshot guest chef Robert Belcham, Vancouver magazine’s Chef of the Year in 2009 for his work at Fuel (now rebranded as Refuel) and Campagnolo. There was the enticement of an open bar. And an open candy bar. And finally, the offer of a helicopter ride to the remote lodge-the deciding factor, in my case.
Before I know it, I’m 900 kilometres from Vancouver with a helpful West Coast Fishing Club employee asking me a rather unusual question. "What size of survival suit do you wear?" I’m momentarily silenced, as she scans the rack of infant-sized suits for one appropriate for a six-foot-three man.
The bulky, bright-orange survival suit is oddly comforting. Feeling like I’m in the last scene in Armageddon, I take Affleckian strides down to the dock. (My wife might have mouthed something like "Pillsbury dough boy" under her breath, but I can’t be sure with my hood so snug.) Chris awaits aboard a sweet 27-foot Boston Whaler Predator, the equivalent experience to having a Nascar driver pick you up in a new Bentley. We peel away from the dock and the twin 225 Mercury Verados emit a Zen-like hum as we motor toward some of the islands’ legendary fishing grounds.
Chris attaches our fishing lines to a downrigger that guides them to a perfect 65-foot depth. He gives us a primer in the art of salmon fishing, including some war stories about celebrity clients (Costner’s a sweetheart) and tells us about the fish we’re targeting. This is when we learn of his disdain for pink salmon: "They’re everywhere and they get in the way of hooking chinooks and cohos, which are larger, more active and make better eating. No one likes pinks."
Sure enough, after the pinks start biting like crazy, we decamp to a new hole where the tips of our rods immediately bob up and down aggressively, promising big fish on the line. We take turns doing the graceless wide-stance shuffle around the deck to stay square with our prey, lest they spit our barbless hooks back at us. Under the guide’s expert coaching, the awkward dance pays off; soon everyone on board deposits a nice-sized chinook in the fish cooler.
Flushed with success, we goad Chris to find some halibut, offshore fish that can easily reach 200-plus pounds. He agrees, but cautions us against getting too excited: "They’re like reeling in a big, wet carpet," he warns. To city slickers used to shelling out $20 a pound for wet carpet, the lure of a freezer full of it is too much to resist.
When we hit the open ocean, the swells increase. The wind cuts our faces and the rain pelts our cheeks. By the time we kill the engines at the designated spot, we’re in seas that shame any roller coaster and I clutch at my survival suit like it’s a rosary. The group votes to head back to a quieter spot, a hole that quickly offers up a 10-pound halibut, far tastier than one of the tough, ancient behemoths.
Back on terra firma for dinner, chef Belcham and sous-chef Alvin Pillay dispatch a course of chilled asparagus soup with Dungeness crab; foie gras and duck confit terrine with rhubarb and fennel; and crispy pork belly with Qualicum Bay scallops and romesco. The anglers converge in the great room, where a collegial atmosphere prevails. We are few, we are happy and tomorrow at 6:30 a.m. it’s once more unto the breach.
Before I know it, it’s the final morning. On the ride back, chopper din keeps conversation at a minimum, but one fellow passenger gestures to the window. A small convoy of boats is speeding new arrivals to fishing grounds we’ve just trawled that morning. Nods and smiles all around the cabin. Soon they’ll be knee deep in chinooks. Or, if they’re less fortunate, Rats of the Sea. wl
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RECIPES
These recipes are courtesy of some of the guest chefs who frequent West Coast Fishing Club trips.
Salmon and Tuna Tempura Roll with Cilantro Pesto
chef Don Letendre (Elixir at Opus
Hotel, Vancouver)
 Grapeseed oil, for deep-frying
1/4 cup mirin (rice wine)
1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari
1 1/2 tsp togarashi seasoning, divided
3 green onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp red onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tbsp sweet chili oil
1/2 tsp each black and white sesame seeds
2 fillets wild salmon (approximately 5 oz),
cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 fillet sushi-quality albacore tuna (3.5 oz),
cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups soda water
Pinch salt
4 sheets nori
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup pea shoots
Cilantro pesto, for garnish (see recipe below)
Preheat grapeseed oil in a deep fryer to 350º F (or fill a large saucepan 1/3 full with oil, and heat).
Whisk mirin, soy, ½ tsp togarashi, onions, sesame and chili oils and sesame seeds to make tempura roll sauce. Mix together diced salmon and tuna and tempura roll sauce. Set aside to marinate.
To make tempura batter, mix flour, baking powder and remaining togarashi together. Add 1 cup soda water and pinch of salt, slowly blending it into dry ingredients with the back of a spoon. (Do not overmix; tempura batter should be lumpy.) Add more soda water, a bit at a time, as needed to achieve correct consistency.
Drain salmon and tuna mixture. Working with one sheet of nori at a time, place 1/4 of fish mixture along one end of sheet and carefully roll up. Seal roll by brushing water along opposite end so nori sticks to itself. Repeat with other 3 rolls. Coat each roll in flour and then dip in tempura batter. Gently drop rolls, one at a time, into hot oil and cook until tempura is crusty and light golden brown (about 1–2 minutes). Drain on paper towel and repeat with remaining rolls.
To serve, slice each roll into 3 pieces and divide on 4 plates. Garnish with pea shoots and a few drops of cilantro pesto on each roll. Serves 4.
Cilantro Pesto
Place 3/4 cup olive oil, 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese and 1 bunch fresh cilantro (leaves only) in food processor with 3 tsp pine nuts and 1 clove garlic. Mix until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste and set aside.
Pan-Seared Salmon with Grapefruit
Chef Dino Renaerts (Fraîche, West Vancouver)
4 tsp vegetable oil
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and
sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
4 baby carrots, peeled and greens trimmed
to 1/2-inch long
12–16 French green beans, trimmed
4 asparagus spears, ends trimmed
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 shallots, finely diced
1 cup white wine
2 ruby grapefruits, 1 peeled and segmented;
one juiced
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
4 fillets coho or spring salmon (5 oz), skin on
Salt and white pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350º F. Bring salmon to room temperature.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add half vegetable oil and let warm 30 seconds. Add potato medallions to fit in pan without crowding them, and lightly sauté until golden. Transfer to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining potato medallions, adding vegetable oil as needed. Set aside.
Bring small saucepan of salted water to a boil. Blanch until tender first carrots, then green beans, then asparagus. Immediately after blanching, immerse each batch of vegetables in bowl of ice cubes and cold water. Drain vegetables and set aside.
To make sauce, melt 1 tbsp butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Add diced shallots and sweat until translucent (about 2 minutes). Add white wine and juice from grapefruit, turn heat up to medium and reduce by 2/3. Add milk and cream, cooking a further 2 minutes until warmed through but not boiling.
Heat grapeseed oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Dry salmon and season both sides with salt and pepper. When oil smokes slightly, add fish, skin side down, to sauté pan. Cook fish for 2 minutes; flip over and cook 1 minute longer. Place fillets on baking tray with potatoes and place tray in oven for approximately 3–5 minutes.
Heat remaining butter in a sauté pan over medium heat and lightly sauté vegetables. To serve, arrange potato medallions among four plates and place salmon fillet on potatoes. Place vegetables around salmon. Using a hand blender, lightly foam grapefruit emulsion and ladle over salmon. Garnish with grapefruit segments. Serves 4.
Coho Wellington with Mushroom Duxelles and
Béarnaise Sauce
Chef Don Letendre (Elixir at Opus
Hotel, Vancouver)
2 sheets puff pastry, cut into 4, 7-inch rounds
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp shallots, minced
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 cup button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1⁄4 cup white wine
1 tsp thyme, minced
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
2 cups spinach, washed and dried
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
4 coho salmon steaks (6 oz)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 tbsp pine nut butter
Béarnaise sauce (purchase or recipe below)
Centre rack in oven and preheat to 375ºF. Place puff pastry rounds on parchment paper-lined baking tray. Cover pastry with parchment paper and place a second baking tray on top. Bake until golden brown (15–20 minutes). Set aside.
For duxelles, add olive oil to a sauté pan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and sauté until soft. Add mushrooms and cook until liquid has evaporated. Deglaze pan with white wine and reduce until dry. Remove pan from heat and stir in thyme. Season to taste.
Let salmon come to room temperature. In sauté pan, heat 1 tbsp grapeseed oil over medium heat. Add spinach to pan and cook until just wilted. Combine ricotta cheese and warm spinach mixture in a bowl. Season to taste.
Heat a large ovenproof sauté pan over medium heat and add remaining grapeseed oil. Dry salmon and season both sides with salt and pepper. When oil smokes slightly, add salmon to pan. Cook 3 minutes on stove, then turn over and remove from heat. Place in oven and cook 3–5 minutes.
Coat puff pastry with pine nut butter and place in centre of 4 plates. Top each round with equal amounts of duxelle mixture, then spinach mixture. Place salmon steak on top each and pour béarnaise sauce over salmon. Serves 4.
Béarnaise Sauce
Place 2 tbsp dry white wine, 1 tbsp tarragon vinegar, 2 tbsp water, 3 crushed white peppercorns, 1 chopped shallot, 1 bay leaf and 2–3 stems fresh tarragon in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook to reduce by 2/3. Remove saucepan from heat and cool to room temperature. Strain cooled mixture into heatproof bowl and add 2 egg yolks. Over a pot of simmering water, whisk until mixture becomes thick enough to coat back of a spoon, then remove bowl from heat. Keep warm. In a small saucepan, melt 1/2 cup clarified butter (or ghee) and allow to cool slightly. Slowly pour butter into yolk mixture, whisking constantly. When butter is incorporated and mixture thickened, add half a juiced lemon, 1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon and salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until serving.
For Pan-Roasted Wild Pink Salmon recipe, visit westernliving.ca.
Thanks to Whole Foods Market for supplying recipe ingredients (510 8th Ave., Vancouver, 778-370-4210, wholefoodsmarket
.com) and to the Cookworks Test Kitchen for recipe testing (1548 West Broadway, Vancouver, 604-731-1148, cookworks.ca). Pink salmon on page 68 supplied by Rick Burns (for sales, prestash-burns@shaw.ca).
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