APRIL/MAY 2019 103
In mid-May, when the first Copper River kings and sockeye
arrive from Alaska, a whole king of 20 or more pounds might sell
for upwards of $40 per pound at Pike Place Market; cleaned and
filleted, the same fish costs nearly double. Customers hardly bat
an eye. Though the prices drop as lesser known varieties pile up
throughout the season, the region’s signature wild salmon are
always an attraction. These handsome fish capture our imagi-
nations like no other, and the fishmongers have learned to stage
a bit of showbiz flair to move their inventory.
W
HILE TOSSING SALMON is a ritualistic practice at
Pike Place Market, up the slope in Seattle’s Capitol
Hill neighborhood, chef John Sundstrom doesn’t
seek attention with airborne fish. Instead, he
serves a lightly seared fillet skin-up, a formerly
eyebrow-raising practice that is gaining traction in many of the
city’s better restaurants. The reasoning is simple, and akin to
the tenets of nose-to-tail dining: salmon skin is a delicacy that
deserves wider appreciation. At Sundstrom’s restaurant, Lark,The first Copper
River salmon of the
year are the prize
catches at Seattle’s
Pike Place Market,
where fishmongers
entertain tourists
with banter and
flying fish.