February is a slow month for fishing. Steve goes out quite regularly, and I join him when I can (on the weekends, after work). The days are shorter in the winter months, so we tend to fish the tides rather than first light (which is at 8am!). We’ve gotten skunked a couple times in the last couple weeks, Steve says it keeps us humble. But he put in the time, and found a couple nice springs.

(My theory is that the salmon that stick around all year are at the mouth of the Skeena waiting for the oolichan run. Steve thinks they’re way out deep where the oolichan and herring are, having a feast.)

We had txadzemsk (boiled fish/fish soup) for dinner. Steve grew up eating txadzemsk with his gma Millie Leask. I usually eat it with my ma Jennifer Sampson. We both have our preference for txadzemsk (which I call kajumps – Steve calls it kajumsk), but we figured out a way to combine forces into a super soup that we both like. Steve likes his txadzemsk with fish/rice, and I like mine with a fish/potato combo.

The old way is to keep the bones attached, because it makes the broth that much richer. I find the process of picking out the bones (back bone, ribs, pin bones) while you’re eating slows down the process of getting the soup in my belly, so I prefer to use the boneless tail pieces. I also like bite size pieces, while Steve likes larger salmon steaks cut into three’s.

One time I watched my mom put a HUGE heaping table spoon of grease into the pot (when grease is cold it forms a semi solid), which was too flavourful for me. Since then, I like to have grease on the side, and I like enough to from a layer of grease and oils on the top of the broth. Grease is one of those food items where everyone has a preference for where it was made, flavour, colour and quality.

You can also make txadzemsk with halibut, but that’s a whole other blog lol

txadzemsk – boiled fish/fish soup

1 medium-large potato diced into bite size pieces

1/2 an onion left unchopped

A slab of fish enough for two people, chopped

Salt to taste

1 cup of rice, cooked in a pot or rice cooker (optional: cook with a teaspoon of butter)

Oolichan grease (on the side)

Chopped seaweed (on the side)

Salt and pepper (on the side)

Boil the potato and onions until the potato is cooked through (breaks with a fork). Add the chopped fish to the pot and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat minimum (cook longer for a richer broth).

To eat:

Lisa: I like to eat mine as a soup. I get equal broth, fish and potato in the bowl and drizzle with a teaspoon of grease (stir!). Sprinkle with chopped seaweed (eat quickly before it absorbs the broth for an added crunch!).

Steve: put a scoop of rice in the bowl, and fill the other side with fish, potato and onion. Drizzle with a teaspoon of grease for maximum txadzemsk to grease ratio, and add a 1/2 a ladle of broth. Sprinkle with seaweed. Get rice, fish, potato, onion and seaweed on one spoonful for the best txadzemsk tasting experience.

–S&L, Feb 19, 2020