Fish STORY.

Byline: Jim Boyd The Register-Guard

WALTERVILLE - Whether you catch your own salmon and steelhead or buy them at a fish market, you will find an interesting way to prepare them in a Walterville couple's new cookbook.

Tiffany and Scott Haugen's "Cooking Salmon & Steelhead" (Frank Amato Publications, $24.95) contains 132 recipes for salmon and steelhead based on the couple's experiences as teachers in Alaska and Indonesia, their world travels, and the fact that Scott, now an author and free-lance writer, spends about 200 days a year fishing and hunting.

The 184-page cookbook has chapters on appetizers, salads and soups, entrees, one-dish meals, exotic tastes, marinades and rubs, outdoor cooking, stuffed fish and plank cooking.

Family members, fishing guides and Alaskan restaurants contributed some of the recipes. Tiffany developed most of them, however, and tested them all.

Almost all of the recipes are illustrated by one of Scott's photographs of the finished dish.

Tiffany estimates they had salmon at least five times a week during the six months they were doing the photos.

"Just with the experimentation of things and cooking things two or three times to get the measurements right and trying to get the photos right, we ate a lot of fish," she said.

The cookbook is compact (6 1/2 by 9 inches), usually with one recipe and photograph per page, and spiral bound so the opened book lies flat, displaying either two separate recipes or one long recipe.

A recipe for California-style sushi rolls made with smoked salmon is the very first in the book's nine chapters. The Haugens learned the technique at a make-your-own-sushi party hosted by Steve and Joy Davey of Eugene. They actually took sheets of nori with them to their outposts in Alaska, Tiffany said, so they could make sushi as a treat there.

"One of the reasons I put sushi as the first recipe is we love sushi," Tiffany said, explaining that she wasn't necessarily talking about restaurant sushi made from raw fish but the homemade kind using smoked or leftover salmon from the barbecue the night before, or crab or shrimp.

Another of Tiffany's favorites is the recipe for Greek stuffed fish, found in the chapter on flavorful fillings to bake sandwiched between a thick fillet cut lengthwise so the top and bottom pieces are of equal thickness. The recipe, which is among the five at the end of this article, calls for a stuffing of feta cheese, green onion, sweet red pepper, spinach leaves, kalamata olives and flavorings that include garlic, lemon juice, fennel seeds, oregano and mint.

"I guess one of the neatest discoveries we made is the gravlax (recipe follows). That's actually a cold preservation for the fish," she said. "We both have Scandinavian roots so we thought we really do need to represent that."

Gravlax scrambled with eggs and vegetables or herbs from the garden makes a delicious breakfast, she said. Moreover, she believes it helped her lose weight after the birth of her second child. "That's my favorite weight loss suggestion," she said.

The chapter on exotic tastes includes a dozen recipes with flavors from around the globe. Included below are recipes for Fijian fish cooked in coconut milk, for New Delhi-style fish with cucumber raita, and for fish flavored with Italian herbs baked in foil with sun-dried tomatoes.

Subtitled "From the Water to the Platter," the cookbook makes good on that promise with information on cleaning and cooling the catch, scaling your fish, filleting and steaking, choosing a market fish, and on canning and freezing, including freezing pieces of fish in a marinade, ready for cooking.

Tiffany Fountain and Scott Haugen grew up in the Walterville area and attended Thurston High School. She went to Oregon State University and he went to the University of Oregon.

In 1990, two days after their honeymoon, they moved to Point Lay, an Eskimo village of 100 people on Alaska's North Slope. They taught children there for three years and then transferred to a school at Anaktuvuk Pass, a village of 350 located in the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, where they taught for an additional four years. Although they lived in the Alaskan Arctic, they spent a few days each summer on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula catching salmon for shipment to their isolated home.

"Then we decided we needed to warm up and went to Indonesia and taught for four years," Tiffany said.

It was in 1997 that Scott discovered he could write marketable magazine articles about hunting. Since then, he's written "Hunting the Alaskan High Arctic" (Safari Press), "Flyfisher's Guide to Alaska" (Wilderness Adventures Press) and books for Frank Amato Publications that include "Egg Cures," "Summer Steelhead Fishing Techniques" and "Dungeness Crabbing."

They decided after the birth of their first child that they wanted to switch to a profession that would allow them to work at home. Scott decided to become a full-time writer and outdoor photographer and they returned to Walterville in 2001 to raise their family. They have two sons: Braxton, 4, and Kaz-den, 2.

"I've edited all of his work," Tiffany said. "And, you know, it just sort of turned into it's time for me to write something. I put the cookbook together, and now we're both finding we have more than enough to keep us busy."

"Cooking Salmon & Steelhead" was released in mid-April. A cookbook on plank cookery of all types of meat is due out by July 4, she said, and a book on smoking salmon and steelhead is scheduled for publication in the fall.

Copies of the Haugens' books may be purchased from their Web site, which is found at www.scotthaugen.com. The cookbook and other books published by Frank Amato also are available at www.AmatoBooks .com.

Tiffany said she actually found her cookbook a useful reference when Scott caught a big spring Chinook salmon on the McKenzie River a few days before she was interviewed. She said she found herself thinking, "What am I going to do with it?"

"I couldn't decide so I cooked three different ways on one piece of fish," she said. "And I thought, 'OK, now what was the internal temperature you need to cook the fish to?' So I looked it up and made sure I had that right. I though, 'Hey, I just used my book for the first time as a research tool.'

"This is a cookbook that I don't think will be purchased and put on the shelf or looked at and put on the shelf," she said. "I truly think if you like salmon or steelhead you are going to use this."

Greek Stuffed Fish

Tiffany's personal favorite stuffed fish. The strong Mediterranean flavors blend beautifully and make this recipe stand out.

1 fillet of salmon or steelhead (3 to 6 servings)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons whipped cream

1/2 cup feta cheese

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

4 to 5 mint leaves, chopped

3 tablespoons green onion, chopped

1/4 cup sweet red pepper, finely chopped

15 to 20 fresh spinach leaves, chopped or torn

12 to 15 Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

Olive oil ( 1/2 to 1 tablespoon)

Sea salt

Prepare the fish fillet by cutting lengthwise through the center of fillet, leaving equal thickness on the top and bottom. Place on a large sheet of aluminum foil and set aside.

Mix remaining ingredients (except the olive oil and sea salt) in a medium bowl.

Place the stuffing mixture in between the cut fillet. Sprinkle sea salt atop fillet and drizzle with olive oil.

Seal fish in foil and place on a preheated grill.

Grill on medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes or until fish tests done. Or bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees 10 minutes per inch of thickness, including stuffing, or until fish is opaque and flakes in large chunks.

Serve on a bed of spinach and garnish with red pepper, feta cheese, green onion and Kalamata olives if desired.

Fijian Fish

"While staying in a remote Fijian village, we enjoyed many fresh ocean-caught fish cooked in coconut milk. We have adapted the same technique to salmon and steelhead with great results. The smell alone of this dish will take you to the white sand beaches of this fascinating archipelago."

1/2 skinned fillet of salmon or steelhead (2 to 3 servings)

1 tablespoon lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk

1/2 medium onion

1 tomato

1/2 teaspoon paprika 

Dash of cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce

Place fish fillet on a plate. Salt and pepper to taste and drizzle lime juice over fish, set aside.

In a skillet, heat coconut milk and the onions just to the boiling point, stirring frequently. Quickly reduce to medium heat, add fish and remaining ingredients. Simmer on medium-low heat 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot with a generous helping of the coconut milk.

Fish Baked With Italian Herbs and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

"While dining at a cafe near the Spanish Steps in Rome, we were served this dish with fresh sole. We find it equally delightful with salmon or steelhead."

1 fillet of salmon or steelhead (3 to 6 servings)

Italian seasoning

Zest from one lemon

5 to 7 sun-dried tomatoes, sliced thinly

Olive oil

Place fillet, skin side down, in aluminum foil. Generously sprinkle fillet with Italian seasoning and lemon zest. Gently rub seasoning and zest into fish. Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

Drizzle fillet with olive oil. Seal in foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees 15 to 20 minutes or until fish is opaque and flakes in large chunks.

Herbed Gravlax

"Being of Scandinavian descent, we felt it appropriate to include a dish passed on from our ancestors. A versatile family favorite, gravlax has come a long way from its traditional origin. The literal meaning of gravlax translates into 'salmon from the grave' as it was buried as a means of preservation and dug up to be enjoyed all winter."

2 matching salmon or steelhead fillets (equaling 2 pounds)

1/4 cup pickling and canning salt

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

4 fresh dill sprigs

4 fresh rosemary sprigs

6 sprigs flat-leafed parsley

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 cup basil leaves

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

10 sprigs of chives 

Lay one fillet, skin side down, in a glass baking dish. Sprinkle half of the salt, sugar and pepper mixture over fillet. Lay all of the herbs on top of fillet. Sprinkle the remaining salt, sugar and pepper mixture over the second fillet. Place the second fillet atop the first fillet, sandwiching the herbs between the two. Place the thicker section on top of the thinner section.

Cover with plastic wrap and weigh down with a heavy object. (We use a lead ingot for a weight as it fits well in the refrigerator.)

Turn the "fish sandwich" every 12 hours for 48 hours. After fish has cured, slice meat diagonally off skin. Serve with oil and vinegar or on crackers or bagels with cream cheese.

New Delhi Style Fish

With Cucumber Raita

"When asked about our most memorable, life-changing experience, India tops the list. The sights, sounds and smells of this country are forever etched into our minds. Raita was one of the many side dishes we enjoyed daily during our travels throughout northern India."

1 skinned fillet of salmon or steelhead (3 to 6 servings)

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

1 teaspoon ground coriander 

1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds

3/4 teaspoon crushed black pepper

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon turmeric 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the cucumber raita:

1 cup plain yogurt

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 large cucumber, peeled and diced

3 tablespoons lemon juice concentrate or the juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

Combine spices in a small bowl. Rub into both sides of fillet. For a more intense flavor, the fillets can marinate with the spices for up to 3 hours. Heat oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Place fillets in skillet. Cook fish 5 to 6 minutes on each side until golden brown, turning once. Serve with a generous helping of cucumber raita.

Cucumber raita: Gently combine yogurt, tomato, cucumber, lemon juice, chives and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Heat a small frying pan to medium-high heat and lightly toast mustard seeds, cooking them until they begin to pop. Top each serving of fish with raita and mustard seeds.

Jim Boyd can be reached at 338-2363 or [e-mail].

CAPTION(S):

Fresh salmon is available at a variety of outlets throughout Lane County. Tiffany Haugen's cookbook includes 132 recipes for salmon and steelhead. Paul Carter / The Register-Guard Paul Carter / The Register-Guard Herbed Gravlax and this is light text and this is more light text