Have you heard about Organic Ocean? They deliver freshly caught sustainable seafood that can be shipped across Canada from their location in North Vancouver. Organic Ocean is featured in The Top 25: Sustainability & Conservation list, for 2020, published by SeafoodSource. I ordered seafood from them before and like their quality, pricing, and that they fish sustainably. I spoke with them about pairing BC wines with their seafood and they agreed to provide me with some seafood samples. I received:
- 2 halibut portions
- 2 steelhead portions
- a sablefish filet
- sweet and delicate Hokkaido scallops
My first seafood dinner from Organic Ocean is from their steelhead salmon. Steelhead salmon is actually ocean trout that migrates upstream just like its cousin, actual salmon, but after spawning can return to the ocean. The flesh is orangy-red just like other salmon and the flavour is the same. I decided to bake the filets portions I received with a butter-brown sugar-mustard syrup.
I paired this dish with Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery Pinot Gris and Rosé 2020. This is a BC winery from the West Kelowna region in the Okanagan. They have been one of the long-time wineries in our Province. In case you want to try cooking the steelhead or other salmon filets, here is the recipe.
Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Steelhead Salmon
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup butter
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 TBSP honey
2 TBSP brown sugar
2 TBSP rice vinegar
1 TBSP Dijon or grainy mustard
2 TBSP soy sauce
1, 12 oz or 2, 6 oz portions of steelhead salmon (A filet is best. No bones.)
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the ingredients. Place the fish in the center of a foil rectangle or ceramic baking dish. Pour the glaze over the fish and fold the packet around the fish or cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cook 20 minutes for a 1-inch thick filet, add 5 minutes per 0.5 inch. Serve with rice and a salad.
Both were complimentary, but the Rosé was a bit nicer. The Pinot Gris stone fruit flavours were a little too strong for this dish. I like the strawberry flavours of the Rosé wine, the bright acidity and hint of sweetness paired with the steelhead’s flavour, its soft texture, and the sweetness and brown butter flavour of the sauce. If you would like more details about the two Mt. Boucherie wines, including where you can purchase them, please read my Mt. Boucherie tasting notes at this link.
You can buy the steelhead and other seafood from Organic Ocean at this link: https://organicocean.com/collections/all
Thank you to Organic Seafood for providing me with this seafood. Watch for my upcoming tasting notes when I cook and pair the remaining seafood with BC wines.
