Hot Plate

Caliterra’s Copper River king salmon

Catch it while you can

By CLARE LESCHIN-HOAR | June 13, 2007

For just the briefest window this time each year, the mighty wild king salmon tussles its way up the 300-mile stretch of Alaska’s glacier-fed Copper River. Pushing and grappling its way upstream takes tremendous energy, which translates into a fish packed with flavorful fat, and is one reason the pink meat is so highly coveted. Its fleeting availability and steep price (more than $30 a pound retail) catapults it into the realm of luxury, but salmon groupies swear this once-a-year splurge is worth it. They’re right. Julia Brandt, the new chef at Caliterra, gives her Copper River king salmon the royal Mediterranean treatment. It’s grilled, set on a bed of tender asparagus, roasted fingerling potatoes, and wilted baby arugula, drizzled generously with lick-the-dish-good saffron vin blanc, and topped with a crown of sun-dried-tomato tapenade. Even better, this fish is wild-caught using sustainable fishing methods, which earns it a thumbs-up from the respected Seafood Watch Program. Chef Brandt will offer the dish as a special for as long as she can get her hands on the fish; she’ll switch to the also-Copper-River-running sockeye for $30 when she can’t.

Available for $39 at Caliterra, Hilton Boston Financial District, 89 Broad Street, in Boston. Call 617.348.1234.