Seared Salmon with Wild Mushrooms and Beans

In Sitka, Alaska, geography is not backdrop; it is constraint, teacher, and collaborator.

Accessible only by air or sea, this small coastal town sits between rainforest and the Gulf of Alaska, where commercial fishing boats leave the harbor at dawn and shelves are stocked not by abundance of choice but by durability. Fresh ingredients arrive carefully. Dried goods, preserved staples, and what can be foraged from forest and tide become the foundation of everyday cooking.

When Sitka Seafood Market developed a recipe to illustrate the story Know Thy Fisherman, we asked a simple question: What does a remote fishing town actually have access to?

The answer became the framework.

Canned beans. Root vegetables. Olive oil shipped north. Wild mushrooms gathered from moss-lined forest floors. Spruce-tip salt and smoked sea salt from nearby producers. And, of course, salmon pulled from cold Pacific waters.

Mad Agriculture’s Jane Cavagnero spent time in Sitka with Sitka Seafood co-founder Marsh Skeele and journalist Micaela Elias, preparing this dish developed by Grace Parisi. Together, they cooked not just a recipe but a geography: forest mushrooms folded into pantry beans, salmon seared in butter and olive oil, greens wilted at the last moment.

Seared Salmon with Wild Mushrooms and Beans is a reflection of place — remote but connected, simple but layered, shaped by what endures and what can be gathered close to home.

In Sitka, the pantry tells the story. And the salmon carries it.

Jonnah Perkins, Media Director, Mad Agriculture

Active time: 40 min

Total time: 60 min

Serves: 4 to 6

While any wild mushroom would be delicious here, foraged mushrooms, like chanterelles, black trumpet,hedgehog, chicken of the woods, lobster, or maitake indelibly tie this recipe to its location.

● 4 (6-ounce) king salmon, pin bones removed

● Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (Spruce tip Salt or Smoked salt from Pure Alaska)

● 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

● 1⁄2 pound fresh wild mushrooms, preferably foraged, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces (see Pro Tips)

● 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1⁄4-inch cubes

● 1 medium leek, white and pale green parts thinly sliced leek and washed well, alternatively use 1 medium white onion, finely chopped

● 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

● 1 1⁄2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves

● 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

● Two (15-ounce) can white beans such as cannellini, butterbeans, cranberry, or borlotti beans with their liquid

● 1 cup chicken broth, vegetable broth, or seafood stock

● 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

● 5 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped

● Crusty bread for serving (optional)

1. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. In a large, shallow Dutch oven or skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the same pan over medium heat until simmering. Add the carrot and leek, then season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, rosemary, and pepper flakes, and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute.

3. Add the reserved mushrooms, the beans, their liquid, and the broth, then season lightly with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is slightly reduced, 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels and add it to the skillet, skin side down. Press the salmon gently with a spatula for 30 seconds so it lays flat. Add the butter to the skillet. Remove the spatula and cook until the salmon is nearly done, 5 to 8 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet, spooning the melted butter over top. Carefully flip the salmon and cook for about 30 seconds to lightly cook the surface.

5. Just before serving, using the back of a spoon, coarsely mash 1⁄4 of the beans. Stir the spinach into the bean mixture and cook just until the spinach is wilted. Add a few tablespoons of water to loosen the stew if necessary.

6. Divide the beans between shallow bowls and top with the salmon. Spoon some of the butter in the skillet overtop if desired. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with crusty bread.

This project was created in partnership with Sitka Seafood Market