Blackened Saskatchewan Smoked Kokanee Salmon Recipe

My wife was hesitant when I first told her I was making blackened smoked kokanee. This recipe takes a flavor profile a lot of people are familiar with on beef and applies it to kokanee salmon. The results are phenomenal. Blackened kokanee is a different flavor profile than most of the kokanee people make, and it might just become your new favorite.

I’m passionate not just about catching kokanee, but also eating what I catch. Despite what my family and friends say after eating the fish I’ve caught and prepared, I’m not a professional chef, but I experiment and am always trying to get better. I believe wild game and fish caught in the wild have their own unique flavor profiles. Learning to work with those flavors in harmony is the key to making something that will rock your socks off. This blackened Saskatchewan kokanee recipe will do just that.

What makes Blackened Kokanee… Black?

The blackened Saskatchewan rub is black. There is just a regular blackened salmon, and that is blackened by giving a harsh and fast sear to the spices on a salmon when pan searing. Both are good, but both are different. The rub from Traeger gets its coloration from black pepper, and from caramel coloring in the rub.

The Seasoning for Blackened Saskatchewan Kokanee

Yes, Joe Rogan loves this seasoning, and likes it especially for elk, but I almost like it better on salmon than I do on red meat. This rub has a flavor profile similar to the Montreal steak seasoning. Do you need to use this seasoning? No. There are a lot of seasoning blends on the market, or you can mix your own spices. I personally can’t beat this rub, but maybe you’re a better cook than I am. This is a MAJOR step up from just lots and lots of black pepper though. You won’t mess up using this rub.

One thing to note- this rub is high in salt. If you’re trying to coat kokanee fillets like you would a chinook fillet or another larger salmon, you’ll make it too salty and overpower the fish. You need less than you think.

Traeger Blackened Saskatchewan Rub

Removing Pin Bones in Kokanee Salmon

When you fillet a kokanee, there is a line of bones that are left in the fillet. There are 3 options- leave them, pull them out with tweezers, or cut them out. If you want your fillets to look nice, and you don’t want to lose the meat, and you’ve got some picky eaters on your hands, pull out the tweezers and pull out all the pin bones. It takes a while, but its worth it. Commercial fishmongers have machines that take the bones out for them. The biggest turnoff for people eating wild fish are the bones. My wife thought she hated fish because she grew up picking bones out of her fish. Remove the pin bones from your kokanee. Lately, I’ve just started cutting them out. With a little practice, you can do it without losing hardly any meat.

Make Sure You Have A Fish Spatula

Have you ever had a delicate fillet break on you when you were trying to lift it or flip it? STOP IT! If you’re a serious fisherman who doesn’t spend all day playing catch and release, you need a fish spatula. A fish spatula is long, slotted, and flexible. It allows you to support the entire fish without being too rough. I fought against getting one for years and ended up getting one as a gift. Don’t be as stubborn as I was. It makes cooking fish easier.

Fish Spatula