National Park Inspired Recipe for June

This Recipe is courtesy of Bram, FOUNDER, EDITOR & PHOTOGRAPHER at The National Parks Experience -a blog dedicated to the national parks and other public lands, nature and wildlife conservation, and sustainable outdoor activities.

Born in Belgium and based in Oregon, Bram is the founder and editor-in-chief of The National Parks Experience. When he’s not spending time and taking photos in the great outdoors, or researching new national park trips, you can find him sipping pilsners in his neighborhood craft brewery. His favorite national park is Mount Rainier.

Hazelnut crusted coho salmon recipe inspired by: Redwood National and State Parks, California (alternatively: Olympic National Park)

A park complex famous around the world for its towering coast redwoods, the Redwood National and State Parks boast a beautiful coastline, native prairie and wild rivers. It’s those rivers that are of particular interest to this hazelnut crusted coho salmon recipe.

The parks’ two main rivers—the Klamath River and Smith River—as well as Redwood Creek are home to a number of so-called salmonids, which include both trout and salmon.

No fewer than seven species of salmonid occur in the Redwood streams, four of which are very common: steelhead trout, coastal cutthroat trout, chinook salmon and coho salmon.

In this national park-inspired recipe, we’re using coho salmon, also known as silver salmon. Fishing is allowed in the Redwood National and State Parks, but I recommend checking the parks’ website for up-to-date information on current regulations.

In addition to coho salmon, the recipe also includes hazelnuts and mushrooms, both of which are present in the Redwood park complex.

Note, though, that gathering mushrooms in the Redwood parks is not allowed, but you can collect up to one gallon of hazelnuts per person per day. (You can find more information about foraging in Redwood and other national parks here.)

I hope you enjoy this salmon recipe inspired by Redwood National Park. This is a great one!

Mushrooms and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

• 1 1/2 pound potatoes, peeled and cut in pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
• 4 tablespoons light sour cream
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Hazelnut Crusted Coho Salmon

• 2 coho salmon fillets
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup hazelnuts, chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

Mushrooms and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add potatoes and garlic and boil until potatoes are fork-tender.
3. Drain and return to pot. Add sour cream and mash with a potato masher. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. While potatoes boil, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan. Add shallots and sauté until soft, about 3-4 minutes.
5. Add mushrooms and stir until they've released all their liquid, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Hazelnut Crusted Coho Salmon

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Season salmon all over with salt and pepper.
3. In a small bowl, combine chopped hazelnuts, olive oil, lemon zest and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Spread a tablespoon of Dijon mustard on the top of each salmon fillet.
5. Top with hazelnut mixture.
6. Bake in the oven until the salmon flakes easily, about 10-12 minutes.
7. Serve hazelnut crusted coho salmon with garlicky mashed potatoes and sautéed mushrooms.
8. Enjoy!

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