Skill of the Grill Runner-Up Recipe: Part II
Grilled Bristol Bay Salmon with Corn & Cilantro Compound Butter
Nick Novello is the culinary director at Seattle’s Miner’s Landing at Pier 57. In this role, he has created a brand-new menu at Fisherman's Restaurant and Bar, paying homage to the history and legacy of Seattle's seafood culture. Chef Nick joined us for 2019’s Skill of the Grill, cooking up a delicious and beautifully presented grilled salmon.
Nick and family enjoy the festival!
Nick was one of four chefs to participate in Skill of the Grill at the 2019 SeaFeast and bring delicious recipes and bites to our attendees. Three notable judges, Bellingham Mayor Kelli Linville, Miss Washington USA and Bristol Bay fisherman Evelyn Clark, and Bristol Bay fisherman and 2019 Soul of Bellingham Bay Award winner Phil Erickson, crowned Nick a runner-up alongside local Bellingham chef, Doug Elliot and his maple-balsamic glazed grilled salmon.
At the age of 20, Nick packed his knives and flew north to Alaska. He used common sense and culinary creativity on his way home, cooking his way South through Canada for gas money. The opportunity to work in so many restaurants inspired Nick to look at food as having multiple layers of flavor. The journey ended in Seattle, where fell in love with the city and its people. Check out more of his menu at Fisherman’s Restaurant and Bar.
Check out more recipes on our blog! Looking for the place to get Bristol Bay sockeye near you? Check out the list of suppliers from Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association.
Grilled Bristol Bay Salmon with Corn & Cilantro Compound Butter
A runner-up in this year’s Skill of the Grill competition.
Ingredients
1 lb salted butter
1.5oz cilantro, chopped
1/2 oz fresh garlic, chopped
4 Ears grilled corn, shaved off husks
1/2 oz rubbed sage
pinch of black pepper
pinch of celery salt
Tom Douglas’ Salmon Rub with Love*
* a required ingredient at the contest! Find yours here.
Directions
Soften butter at room temperature.
Grill corn, charring around the edges. Allow corn to fully cook. Remove from grill and place on a cutting board. Grab a large plate, place your corn standing straight up, shave down with a knife close to the center of the corn. Don’t get too much piff (white stuff around the cobb).
Note: once you have one ear shaved, use that as the base for your next ear. This way your knife never hits your plate, you have a stable base you can cut into, with out the corn going everywhere.
Cover corn with plastic wrap in a bowl, while still kind of hot if possible; this step will “sweat” the starch out of the corn.
After 10 min of the corn covered, put gloves on and squish, squish, squish again! It should look like chunky mashed potatoes. Reserve and set aside.
Now, to mix. Grab a large bowl, mix all ingredients into the soft butter, including Rub with Love seasoning to taste. Allow to firm in the fridge for 20 min.
To create a butter roll, prepare a full sheet of parchment paper with non-stick spray. Spread the butter mixture onto the parchment and roll into a tight tube. This will be slightly easier to handle because you put it in the fridge.
Note: be careful not to roll pieces of paper into the butter! Or, you will have butter coins with paper intricately laced through the butter, which is a large pain in the butt. Watch as you roll, not too tight, it will blow out the sides. Roll tight enough to close all air pockets and twist the ends of the parchment closed, like a candy wrapper.
Store butter tube in freezer.
Grill fish at a high heat until it begins to flake apart.
Chop a chunk of your butter tube off and add it to your next simply grilled, wild Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon.
