Dipnetting veteran James P. Bennett shares tips and techniques for what to do once you’ve netted a salmon and how to use the whole fish.
To make salmon gravlax begin with two fillets. Set one in a glass baking dish, flesh-side up. Cover both with a thin coat of sea salt and brown sugar. Place fresh dill over the fillet in the dish and put the other fillet face-down over the first so the dill is sandwiched between the meat. Stretch plastic wrap around the fillets and set the package back in the baking dish. Place a few clean, heavy rocks on top and refrigerate. Every couple of hours, turn the package over, keeping the weight on top. In six hours or so the fish is ready to eat or freeze. To serve, use a fillet knife to cut thin slices; place them on a bagel smothered with cream cheese. Garnish with cilantro. Experiment using lightly smoked salmon fillets and/or adding herbs and spices. Use freshly crushed blueberries instead of the dill for a sweeter…
To make salmon caviar first place the egg skeins in a large glass or ceramic bowl and cover with very hot tap water. After a minute or so, begin to work the skeins by gently massaging the eggs free of the sac. Place the sticky membrane and eggs that are too clingy in a separate bowl to use in your compost. Change the water often, keeping it as hot as your hands can tolerate. After you remove the bulk of the skeins, continue rinsing with hot water, now using your fingers to delicately churn the eggs. As the water becomes tepid, drain the fluid and notice white skein membranes floating to the surface like little ghosts. Continue this until there are no more skein spirits rising to the surface. The eggs will have turned an opaque pink by now, but that will soon change. Cover the eggs with clear, cold…