Sourcing Local Ingredients: Gochujang and Honey-Glazed Salmon

We think about salmon a lot around here in the fall. During the fall run, Chinook make their way back from the Pacific through Olympia’s Capitol Lake and up the Deschutes River to their spawning grounds. Locals and visitors head to various areas to view the salmon, including Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls.

But all that salmon watching can make a person, well … hungry. You’ll find fresh wild salmon at a variety of grocery stores in Olympia, but we love any excuse to visit the Olympia Seafood Company for a variety of super fresh seafood. They source their salmon from Westport, known as the salmon capital of the world. Westport is one of the premier Chinook fisheries on the Washington Coast and the Coho fishing can be excellent in late summer.

Olympia Seafood was established back in 1999 and pretty much specialized in live crab. Tony and Kira DeRito come from commercial fishing stock with over 40 years of experience in all things Dungeness crab and wild salmon harvesting. They keep their eyes peeled for sustainable, healthy seafood options and are committed to providing friendly, knowledgeable service.

We popped in and grabbed a few pounds of Chinook salmon to make one of our favorite salmon dishes, a gochujang and honey-glazed salmon with spinach. And since our recipe called for honey, we took that opportunity to make a quick trip south to Rochester for a visit to Hive 5 Bees Pacific Northwest Honey Company. With over 14 years of beekeeping experience, Kevin and Amanda Mills are passionate about their honey. Visit their shop for a hands-on experience of selecting and pouring your own jars, or just pick several flavors ready to go from the shelf. With so many flavors to choose from (pssst … our favorite is buckwheat), it pays to be adventurous.

Pour your own honey at the Pacific Northwest Honey Company

Okay, we know you’re starving. We love this recipe because it gives us a chance to enjoy locally sourced ingredients, and the closer to the source we can get with our food, the better it’s going to taste. The combination of sweet and spicy gochujang and honey in the marinade give the salmon a little bit of sweetness and a whole lot of spice. Serve this dish up on a bed of sautéed spinach and garlic and wonder why you’re not cooking at home more often.

Gochujang and Honey-Glazed Salmon

Ingredients

2 tablespoons gochujang
1 tablespoon mirin
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari, divided
1 tablespoon honey
1 ½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, grated, divided
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 ¼ pounds salmon, preferably wild-caught, cut into 4 portions
8 cups baby spinach
Sesame seeds & sliced scallions for garnish

Directions

Step 1 - Position a rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.

Step 2 - Whisk gochujang, mirin, 1 tablespoon tamari, honey, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/4 of the garlic and ginger in a small bowl. Pat salmon dry and place skin-side down on the prepared pan. Brush the salmon with the glaze. Broil until the salmon is just cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness.

Step 3 - Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the remaining 3 cloves garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant and just starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted and the pan is dry, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon tamari.

Step 4 - Serve the salmon over the spinach.

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