It’s Copper River salmon season and that means a couple of things. First of all, Copper River salmon families will be torn apart and tested to their core. The salmon families that inhabit the river will be ripped apart, made destitute, and turn some young, unassuming salmon teenagers to do unspeakable things. It also means we will be eating them and they’re pretty darn tasty. Dallas chefs are already on the salmon steamer collaborating and creating dinners to showcase the delicious river creature. Last Thursday, I attended a dinner as a media guest at Rathbun’s Blueplate Kitchen where Kent Rathbun, Matt Mcallister of FT33, and Scott Romano of Nick and Sam’s paired up with the folks at the Alaskan Brewing Company to match their creative salmon visions with selections from the brewery’s solid lineup of beers. Also, being that the Copper River is in Alaska, this makes for a rather spot on collaboration. Fortunately, Dean Underdahl from Alaskan Brewing Company also attended the dinner to share with us the intricacies of the beer selections and inform us about the amazing sustainability practices of the brewery. Don’t be mad at us if you missed this. We told you about it.
Scott Romano regaled the crowd with tales of the visit he and McAllister made to Alaska to fish for these salmon. The fish they caught wasn’t on this particular menu, as they would have spoiled by the evening’s festivities, so they served the fresh stuff. The chefs laid down some out-of-this-world renditions of the salmon in the form of a salmon mousse, salmon pastrami, beautifully seared salmon, and finished with Chef Jennifer Newbold’s Beeramisu. First of all, bravo to Jennifer on the punny name, and kudos to the chefs for their efforts and ingenuity in pairing the salmon dishes and the beer. Chef Rathbun’s hospitality and gracious accessibility made for a wonderful evening, and I think all the guests were patting themselves on the back for booking the dinner. Enjoy the pics and keep your grubby lips off the screen. Oh, and tonight while you’re sleeping soundly in your Egyptian cotton linens and down pillows, remember there are salmon out there in the Copper River just trying to find a place to make sense of their now-disconnected lives so you can enjoy their delectable flesh. Happy dreams.
