Salmon is the Pacific Northwest.

I remember the first time I'd had wild Pacific king salmon. It was one of the most flavorful fishes I had ever eaten. Fatty and juicy, it was almost like eating a steak. Since then I've eaten my fare share of salmon. From sockeye and coho to the smaller pink or chum as it's sometimes called. In my opinion, you won't find it done better east of the Cascade Mountains. Seattelites are very proud of their salmon. New York has pizza. Seattle has salmon. Always eat where and what the locals are eating and you'll rarely have a bad meal.

The other day at the farmers market I bought a beautiful fresh fillet of sockeye from Loki Fish and made Rosemary Honey Glazed Sockeye Salmon with Sundried Tomatoes and a Lentil, Bacon, and Shitake Mushroom Ragout. The sweetness of the salmon worked perfectly with the salty earthiness of the lentils. I was also happy that I got to tryout my new porcelain baking dish. This is a easy dish to make and I felt that It did my lovely fillet of salmon justice.

Rosemary Honey Glazed Sockeye Salmon with Sundried Tomatoes
1 lb sockeye salmon fillet, skinned and de-boned
1/2 cup honey (I use local organic blackberry honey)
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, reconstituted in warm water for 15 minutes, chopped
kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Heat oven to 425F degrees. Mix together all of the ingredients except for the salmon to make the glaze. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Place in a shallow baking pan and brush 1/2 of the glaze over the fillet. Roast for 4 minutes. Brush on the rest of the glaze and sprinkle the sundried tomatoes over the top. Roast for another 4 minutes or until just barely cooked through. Cut into single portions and serve.

Lentil, Bacon, and Shitake Mushroom Ragout.
2 cups dried lentils
1/2 lb bacon, diced
1/2 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced
3 cups chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 cup loosely packed arugula
kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Rinse the lentils. Cover the lentils with the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered for 20 minutes or until lentils are soft but still intact. In a saute pan, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon to a plate and drain all but 1 Tbsp of bacon grease. Saute the garlic and shallots in the bacon fat for 2 minutes and add the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are soft 3-4 minutes. Return the bacon to the pan and add the lentils. Season with salt and pepper and add the arugula. Toss to mix and serve with the salmon.