Canlis ★ 4.9
Canlis in Seattle is the city's enduring fine-dining room: chef Aisha Ibrahim runs a five-course tasting that draws on her Filipino heritage and Pacific Northwest larders.
History
Salmon was the staple food of the Coast Salish for thousands of years before Seattle existed. The Duwamish, Suquamish and Muckleshoot ran weirs and traps on the rivers that drain into Puget Sound. The first cannery on the Columbia opened in 1866; by 1900 Washington was canning more salmon than any other state. The 1974 Boldt decision restored treaty fishing rights to 20 Washington tribes. The most prized run today is the copper river king, which arrives at Sea-Tac airport in mid May to a press cycle that has run uninterrupted since 1983. Local kitchens treat the first fish like a vintage release: Anthony's HomePort, Canlis and Westward all program around the arrival. The Pike Place fishmongers throw the fish for the cameras; that began at Pike Place Fish Market in 1986 when the staff started tossing salmon across the counter to speed orders.
Common allergens: Fish
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 4 wild salmon fillets, 150 to 180g each, skin on
- 2 tbsp neutral oil with a high smoke point
- Flake sea salt, black pepper
- 1 lemon, halved
- Fresh dill
- 30g cold unsalted butter
Method
- Pull the salmon from the fridge 20 minutes before cooking; cold fillets in a hot pan cook unevenly.
- Pat the skin completely dry with kitchen paper. Score the skin lightly three times with a sharp knife.
- Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium high until shimmering but not smoking.
- Season both sides with salt. Lay the fillets in skin-side down. Press flat with a fish spatula for 20 seconds so the skin does not buckle.
- Cook undisturbed 4 to 5 minutes until the skin is crackling crisp and the flesh has turned opaque two thirds up the side of the fillet.
- Flip. Cook 60 to 90 seconds more on the flesh side. Slide the butter into the pan, baste twice.
- Lift onto warm plates skin-side up. Squeeze lemon, scatter dill, finish with flake salt.
Tip from the editors. Wild salmon is leaner than farmed and goes from medium-rare to dry in 30 seconds. When you can lift a flake from the centre of the fillet without resistance, it is done.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Where to eat pacific salmon
Pacific salmon in Seattle
Westward ★ 4.5
Westward in Seattle on Lake Union's north shore is Renee Erickson's seafood room with a fire pit, deck chairs and the city's best whole fish off the wood grill.
Signature: Dungeness crab, Whole roast fish, Octopus
Order: Dungeness crab in season, cracked over crushed ice, with a glass of Chablis.
Tip: Arrive by water on a Boatel from the Center for Wooden Boats for the most Seattle of dinners.
Matt's in the Market ★ 4.4
Matt's in the Market in Seattle is the Pike Place Corner Market room with windows on the clock: a Pacific Northwest kitchen sourcing five floors down at the stalls.
Signature: Catfish sandwich, Salmon plate, Half-pound mac
Order: The catfish sandwich at lunch, on Macrina sourdough with house remoulade.
Tip: Lunch counter seats walk in at 11:30 and turn fast; dinner needs a reservation for window tables.
Shaker + Spear ★ 4.3
Shaker + Spear in Seattle's Belltown is the Kimpton Palladian seafood room: a kitchen working off the Pike Place fishmongers and Hood Canal growers down the bay.
Signature: Whole rockfish, Dungeness crab, Oysters Rockefeller
Order: The whole roasted rockfish with brown butter and capers, deboned tableside.
Tip: The two top by the kitchen pass is the best seat for solos; happy hour 16:00 to 18:00 with $2 oysters.
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