The family business: Seine-to-table salmon for a sweet-tart burger

The Eat Alaska Project is a partnership of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and Alaska Grown.

Megan Spurkland's earliest memories include the F/V Malamute Kid, a Prince William Sound salmon seiner owned by her parents, Rich and Sonja Corazza. They named the boat for their tough and tenacious daughter, a Homer kid who grew up loving the rumble of a diesel engine and the rocking of a fishing boat atop ocean swells.

"I've been on my dad's boat since I was a newborn," she said. "They drifted in Cook Inlet. Then they bought into Prince William Sound so they could have a family fishery. We've been here since I was 7 years old." By the age of 20, she had a boat and a PWS permit of her own.

And the tradition is continuing with a new generation. This year, Megan's son Fischer celebrated his fourth birthday, and fifth season, aboard his mom's seiner, the F/V Centurion. In attendance at the big occasion: the Centurion crew, which includes two nanny/deckhands who alternate 24-hour shifts caring for Fischer, fishing and maintaining the boat. Also in party hats were the crew members and captains from Megan's radio group (a group of fishermen who work together), which happens to include her dad Rich, still running the Malamute Kid; her brother Rick, running the Royal Fortune; and her husband Jan, running the Godspeed.

When they're not celebrating, these commercial fishermen work long days, ever hopeful for the seiner's trifecta: heavy fishing, speedy delivery to tenders/processors and a decent price per pound on their catch. "We spread out in the morning and get a sense of where the fishing is good," said Megan from the satellite phone aboard her boat as she looked for jumpers in the Sound. "Then we chat, chat, chat on the radio and work together to get on the fish all day long."

This is her ninth year as captain of the Centurion, a name Megan is quick to point out means commander of 1,000 men. In reality, she commands a smallish crew (around four or five) of men and women whose way of doing things sometimes raises eyebrows among the community of salty PWS fishermen. Hers is the only boat with a generator-powered treadmill on board and a crew that does pilates and CrossFit on deck.

"If it's bad fishing, I get in really good shape," she said. "You've heard of the graying of the fleet? All these guys out here are in their 60s and 70s. I figure if I can reduce the stress, I'll be last woman standing."

As Nordic ski coaches in the off-season, Megan and Jan often hire crew members they meet through high school and community athletics.

"This year I have the old Clara from 'The Nutcracker.' So she's doing pilates/ballet. I'm running. Ryan is doing CrossFit," Megan said.

Confession time: After hauling in thousands of pounds of salmon, what's for dinner aboard the Centurion? Do they actually eat salmon?

"Yes! We have two things in our freezer. We have moose meat -- my dad and I go hunting every year -- and we eat all the king salmon and red salmon we can," she said. "We bring a little barbecue out and cook it every which way."

With ready access to berries during the fishing season -- Megan drops off Fischer and the nanny at a nearby beach for the day when she heads out to make a set -- sometimes dinner is even followed by a fresh Alaska dessert.

Wild Alaska Salmon Burgers with Rhubarb Chutney

Recipe by Chef Mandy Dixon, La Baleine Café, Homer

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Time: 20 minutes (plus 30 minutes for Rhubarb Chutney)

We like to use sockeye salmon for these burgers. It's perfect for the bits scraped from the salmon frames after filleting—we call it "spoon meat." The rhubarb chutney pairs beautifully with salmon, and would be great with other grilled fish, pork or mixed into a vinaigrette.

1 pound boneless, skinless Alaska sockeye salmon, divided

2 tablespoons fresh minced cilantro

2 tablespoons thinly sliced Alaska Grown green onion

1 clove Alaska Grown garlic, peeled and finely minced

Juice of half a lime

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 pinch smoked paprika

Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

4 buns

Garnishes: Alaska Grown red onion, Alaska Grown lettuce, pickles

Rhubarb Chutney (Makes 2 quarts)

1 pound Alaska Grown rhubarb, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

1 cup dried dark red cherries

1/2 large Alaska Grown red onion, peeled and diced

3/4 cup dried blueberries

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup cherry juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

Makes 4 servings

Dice half the salmon into 1/8-inch cubes; set aside in a medium bowl. Purée the other half in a food processor; add to the diced salmon.

In a separate bowl, combine cilantro, green onion, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil and smoked paprika. Add cilantro mixture to salmon, stirring gently just to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Shape salmon into 4 patties and chill until ready to grill or sauté. Cook salmon patties about 3 to 4 minutes, turn and cook another 3 minutes. Place on buns and top with a dollop of Rhubarb Chutney. Garnish as you like.

Rhubarb Chutney

Combine rhubarb and next 8 ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat about 20 minutes; stir in vinegar and honey. Continue to cook over medium-low heat another 15 minutes.

This story is sponsored by the Eat Alaska Project. Make this dish and post a photo on social media! Tag it with #eatalaska.

This article was produced by the special content department of Alaska Dispatch News in collaboration with Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and Alaska Grown. The ADN newsroom was not involved in its production.?