Salmon Holiday Feast!

Put a west coast spin on your Christmas dinner this year.  Save the turkey for New Years day and cook up some of that wild pacific salmon you have sitting in the freezer.  That is assuming you fished it up last summer in Ucluelet ;)  If your freezer is fish-less, don't fret, your local grocery store will have a seafood section stocked with wild salmon.

Here is a salmon recipe that got two thumbs up as a main dish during a Christmas feast.

Pecan Crunch Salmon Bake

Ingredients

    3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
    3 tablespoons butter, melted
    5 teaspoons honey
    1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
    1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
    3 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
    6 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
    salt and pepper to taste
    6 lemon wedges

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a small bowl, mix together the mustard, butter, and honey. In another bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, pecans, and parsley.
    
Season each salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with mustard-honey mixture. Cover the top of each fillet with bread crumb mixture.
   
Bake for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at thickest part, or until salmon just flakes when tested with a fork. Serve garnished with lemon wedges.

Serve with:

This delicious dish can be served with other holiday favourites like sweet potatos/yams, and string bean casserole.  I like it best with grilled asaragus and buttery roasted baby-potatoes. 

Pair with Pinot Noir or a White Burgandy wine.

Pumkin pie and whipped cream for dessert.

My suggestions:

I like to use more crushed pecans than bread crumbs.  I also use a honey mustard to make it a little less strong and mustardy, and turned the broiler on the last couple of minutes to really crunch up the pecans.

Imagine eating this well year round?  It's easy after you have been on a fishing trip in Ucluelet!  Catching your limit of Chinook, coho, sometimes sockeye and chum salmon on a weekend fishing trip, in a world class fishing destination like Ucluelet, can be enough to fill your freezer for a while...depending on your appetite!

Now is a great time to book your fishing charter for the 2012 sport fishing season.  Consider it for an awesome Christmas present the angler in your life will absolutely love!  Click for more information about Fishing in Ucluelet

I caught two Chinook and one coho during the Fish Off of the Ucluelet Salmon Ladder Derby in September.  I was Derby Patrol last year so I didn't qualify for any of the prizes, but I did come home with over 60lbs of fish!  Early bird tickets are on sale now for just $35 for a seasons registration.  This would make an excellent stocking stuffer. 

Click for more information about the Ucluelet Salmon Ladder Derby.

Make sure that you follow the regulations put in place by the Fisheries and Oceans Canada.  Click for more information about Recreational Licensing.  There will also be information on regulations and limitations on the DFO sight.

Merry Christmas and BON APETIT!

Written By Amy Hancock

Photo courtesy of Amy Hancock