For a Commerical Fisherperson, Winter Solstice Brings a Turning of the Tide

On the cusp of this year’s winter solstice, I’m honored to share an essay from Melanie Brown, a Bristol Bay sockeye salmon fisherperson whose life and livelihood follow the seasonal cycles of nature as closely as the tides themselves. 

When she’s not fishing the summer runs, Melanie spends her time advocating for wild salmon, participating in fisheries meetings, and preparing for the salmon season to come. Today, we’re grateful to share her perspective as a celebration of the quietest, darkest days of the year — along with her festive recipe for gravlax cured salmon.

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As The Tide Turns

By Melanie Brown

To experience the winter solstice in Alaska is to experience a heightened sense of hope, knowing that even on the darkest day, the light is sure to return and the days will become longer. 

For me, as a Bristol Bay sockeye salmon fisher person, I think of December as the inflection point of an ebbing tide. By now, the fall meeting season has wound down — an intense few months when I and many other fishers advocate for wild salmon by participating in various gatherings and panels — and the talk of the last season is replaced by a season of anticipation.

Once December ends and the New Year begins, the tide turns and begins to flood our minds with preparation for the upcoming fishing season. 

The timing of the Bristol Bay salmon forecast is usually released just as the holidays begin. This year, it is anticipated that Bristol Bay will return roughly 41 million sockeye salmon to its river systems, which already has me thinking ahead to summer.

While we’re in winter though, I love to share salmon that I put away the previous summer. I don’t always have time to cut fish when I’m busy fishing, so sometimes I simply bring whole salmon home, wrap them in a garbage bag and freeze them just like that in my chest freezer. I think of these as party fish and pull one out when it is time for a gathering of friends. 

The fish starts to gently thaw or slack out in the fridge the day before I break it down to bake or make gravlax — or both. I try to use as much of the fish as possible so as not to waste anything. Centering a table with the fillets, collars, two sides of the head with the cheeks ready to pull out for a lucky guest is a rich way to host those you love. For a smaller table of guests one fillet can be shared while other parts of the fish are planned for soup, and the remaining fillet can be cured into gravlax.

Gravlax is a festive dish to make during the holidays — it just requires some advanced planning. A two-to-three-pound fillet takes two to three days to cure with salt, sugar, brandy, and vermouth. Slicing your gravlax to enjoy with cucumber slices or bagels and cream cheese is a nice way to contribute to a gathering, or to pull out and snack on if a friend comes over for a visit. 

A gravlax cured salmon keeps nicely in the fridge for some time, usually up to 5 days if kept tightly covered in plastic wrap. If you make more than you can get through, you can store the gravlax in the freezer until you are able to share it with friends.

Melanie’s Gravlax*

2 pounds of sockeye or coho salmon fillets

½ cup kosher salt

¾ cup sugar

½ cup white vermouth

½ cup brandy

¾ cup juniper berries

2 bay leaves

1 large bunch dill

1. Pat the salmon dry and place it in a glass baking dish. 
2. Sift the salt and sugar together, then pour it over the salmon, spreading it evenly. Place the bay leaves on the salmon fillet and drop the dried juniper berries onto the pan allowing some to stay on the fillet and others to drop into the pan. 
3. Combine vermouth and brandy, then gently add the mixture to pan by pouring alongside the fish, making sure to not disturb the sugar and salt that is on the salmon. The liquid level should be even in each open section of the pan. Lay the fresh dill on top of the fillet, then cover with plastic wrap. Place a plate on the fillet to ensure that the salmon stays submerged.
4. Allow the salmon to cure in the fridge for at least two days and up to three days for a saltier, firmer cure. You want to see the sugar and salt dissolve into the fish, and the fish itself will have lost some of its volume.
5. Remove salmon from the baking dish and place it onto a cutting board, skin-side down. Discard curing liquid. Pat the fish dry and thinly slice it at an angle, cutting into it starting at the tail, in the direction of the tail. The top of the fish may have an oxidized look to it, but the center will be a beautiful and bright salmon color. Cut what you need as you eat it and fold the skin over the salmon when you put it back in the fridge, keeping it tightly wrapped in plastic. You can keep gravlax refrigerated for up to 5 days after curing, or freeze until you’re ready to enjoy it (the sooner the better!), wrapped tightly and placed in a freezer bag.

The gravlax is great with cream cheese, mayo, crème fraiche mixed with lemon or anything. I love it with cucumber slices when I don’t feel like bread or crackers, and it is good on roasted potato slices that act as chips too. It is amazing with a cold martini, a crisp white wine, or your morning coffee and bagel.

*Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have a certain medical condition. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F for cooked fish.

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To adapt Melanie’s recipe for salmon from Wild Alaskan Company, you can substitute 5 (6 oz.) portions in place of “2 pounds of sockeye or coho salmon fillets.” Even though she developed her gravlax recipe for full salmon fillets (what you might think of as sides of salmon), you can generally follow the same measurements and process. Only the slicing step will be a bit different, since you’re slicing the gravlax from shorter portions of salmon — just imagine where the tail would be, then make sure to cut against the grain from there. And then, enjoy a gorgeous, homemade batch of wild gravlax! 

If curing salmon isn’t your thing, maybe you’d enjoy swapping out your next WAC box with a limited time Smoked Box? 

Happy Winter Solstice and Live Wild,

Monica

Pictured above: Snapshots from Melanie Brown’s kitchen, featuring her gravlax served with toast, cucumbers, and a crisp cocktail — a delightful spread over which to celebrate the cycles and seasons in Alaska.