First Contact Day Salmon Recipe

Whether you're recognizing a somber day with your Martian or Vulcan friends, taking a tour of Bozeman, or throwing back a Warp Core Breach at a seedy Ferengi bar, this recipe for a First Contact Day Salmon is sure to please any pescatarian participant in your crew!

Origins of First Contact Day

There isn't a soul on Earth who doesn't know that First Contact was the day the Vulcans made their presences known publicly on Earth in 2063 (and you Carbon Creek Conspiracy-Theorists can get right on outta here), but the origins of the First Contact Day Salmon are slightly less well known.

In the early 21st Century, before World-War III, family fishermen would take trips up to Alaska to bring back sustainable caught Sockeye salmon every year, and deliver it throughout Montana. After the war, the hardy survivors would continue the tradition -- less frequently now due to the wrecked infrastructure, but their return in April with the Spring Solstice would be celebrated with a feast-day in Billings, Bozeman, and Missoula.

After a particularly good catch, the fishermen returned to Bozeman to discover nobody at the fish-market! They were all at the missile-complex where real-life aliens were drinking with some crusty old scientist and listening to Roy Orbison on the jukebox.

Caught up in the festive atmosphere, they decided to cook up their catch and offer it up to the town, making more credits than if they had sold the whole fish.

Ever since, it's become a sign of good fortune and welcoming to offer up salmon on First Contact Day.

First Contact Day Salmon Recipe

Hardware Needed

Grill or Broiler
Medium Skillet with a lid
Medium Bowl
Whisk
Measuring Cups and Spoons

Ingredients

• 500g to 750g of salmon filets (about 4)
• 4 heads of baby bok-choi, trimmed
• 250ml soy sauce
• 60ml honey
• 30ml lemon-juice
• 1 knob of peeled fresh ginger, julienned
• 3 cloves garlic, minced fine

Directions

1. Whisk soy sauce, honey, lemon-juice together until all the ingredients have dissolved. Add garlic and ginger. Reserve about 60ml of this marinade for later. 

2. Marinade the salmon filets for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, start your grill on high-heat or preheat your broiler.

3. Bring 60ml of water to a boil in a medium skillet. Add your bok-choi and cover to steam for about 4 minutes. Remove the lid, and toss in your reserved marinade. Reduce for a couple of minutes, but don't let the marinade burn.

4. Place your marinated salmon on the grill or broiler-pan, skin-side facing the heat (down on your grill, up for your broiler). Don't be tempted to turn the fish until the exterior has caramelized -- about 7 to 10 minutes, depending on your filet thickness and distance from the heat.

5. Serve up your salmon on a bed of your bok-choi and enjoy!

Star Trek Kitchen Items

Here are some Star Trek themed kitchen items which would help make your First Contact Day Salmon Dinner a special one!