Monday, August 03, 2009

Grillin' in the Streets

Alder Wood Smoked Salmon

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

It may have been hot enough a few days ago to fry an egg on the asphalt, but that's not the sort of street cooking pictured here. This is a street level shot of how an alder smoked salmon barbecue is mounted right on the pavement in the Ballard neighborhood during its annual summer Seafood Fest. An alder tree is cut down about a week beforehand and the wood split. The wood is lit on fire right on the street and then surrounded by a four sided steel cooker with a grill, made by locals and manned by experienced cooks from Ballard businesses (such as Pacific Fishermen Shipyard and Ballard Oil). I took this shot when they were finished cooking and had removed the cookers from over the fires. In the neighborhood that brings you the TV show "The Deadliest Catch," seafood is not only popular eating but a major economic factor in the community. Right now the Salmon Fleet that harbor's there is out in the coastal waters of Alaska, and a lot of Seattle area residents that enjoy fishing head up to the Strait of Juan de Fuca to try their luck at reeling in a salmon. A summer cookout with salmon and some veggies on the the grill is one of the real pleasures of a Pacific Northwest summer.

6 comments:

brattcat said...

What a fabulous shot. I can hear that crackle sound that embers make, just looking at this. Remarkable capture, Kim.

Stefan Jansson said...

A Seafood Fest sounds like lots of fun. I try to eat salmon as often as I can.

Unknown said...

Wow, super photo, Kim! I wait for salmon season every year, too, even down here in the desert, because with the glories of air transport, I can go to La Montanita Co-op and purchase packed that day wild salmon: not the same as catching the fish oneself and cooking it off the boat, but such a treat!

Don and Krise said...

You've gotta love local tradition. It's what helps keep a community going. Nice shot and write up.

Sarah said...

Great Shot, Kim!

Rick Leong said...

Love this one Kim. The color of the glowing embers is the focal point for me in this one. Love it!