Our favorite Spicy Sockeye Poke
We haven’t caught a salmon in months, and we won’t be back on the river for several more, but we are still enjoying last summer’s catch. All summer we fish to stock up our freezer with salmon that we can enjoy throughout the winter.
That being said, we practice responsible harvesting and are very careful not to take more fish than our family can consume. Hopefully, years from now, our kids will be able to catch fresh Sockeye or Silver Salmon from the Kenai River too.
Vacuum Seal Your Fish To Keep it Fresh For Months
The beauty of vacuum sealing is that it keeps fish fresh for months after it is caught. Our guests have two options for vacuum sealing. (1) They can take it to one of the local fish processors in Soldotna and have the fish vacuum sealed there. Or (2) They can use our fish processing room at the lodge and do it themselves.
We will provide a tutorial to help guests get started, but it is really easy. Either way, our fish processing room also has freezers for each cabin, so guests can store their fish there until they check-out.
Our Favorite Special Red Salmon Recipe
Over the years we have prepared salmon in countless ways, and are always picking up new recipes from friends and family. There are, however, a few special recipes that we prepare over and over again. Spicy Sockeye Poke is probably our favorite, and we thought we’d share our recipe with you.
Keep in mind this is a throw-together type of recipe with no real measurements. You’ll have to play around with your ingredients and find out how much you need to create your ideal spice and flavor.
Sockeye Poke Recipe Ingredients:
- Salmon
- Soy Sauce
- Sesame Oil
- Red Chili Sauce
- Green onion
- Cilantro
- Garlic
- Sesame Seeds
Directions:
Cube the salmon into bite-sized chunks. Hint: cut the fish when it is still partially frozen as it will cut much nicer. Soak the salmon in equal parts soy sauce and sesame oil. Use enough so that the salmon is saturated, but not too soupy. The fish will absorb the excess sauce while refrigerating.
Mix in chili sauce and garlic to desired spice level. Mix in a green onion and picked cilantro to taste. Refrigerate for a few hours. Stir well and garnish with sesame seeds before serving. If you want to fill your freezer with sockeye, book a guided fishing trip with us.
We are Andrea and Jeremy Anderson. The summer of 2026 marks our 23rd year in the tourism industry helping people plan the best fishing and sightseeing vacations on the Kenai Peninsula, and our 11th season operating Alaska Silvertip Lodge and Cabins. In the spring of 2016, we purchased Silvertip Lodge and Cabins from Dean and Mary Talley, who built the first cabin in 1999.
Andrea grew up in California but fell in love with Alaska after visiting her grandparents in Cooper Landing. After graduating college in 2004, she moved up to Cooper Landing and worked in nearby Moose Pass. Jeremy grew up in Wisconsin, and in 2001 he spent his first summer in Alaska working at the Russian River Campground. Jeremy spent the next few years working as a rafting guide on the Upper Kenai River. In July 2004, Andrea and Jeremy met and began a great adventure on the Kenai Peninsula.
Over the past 23 years, Andrea and Jeremy have developed a diverse set of skills in the Alaskan tourism industry and have spent countless hours recreating outdoors. Andrea has worked as a guide for several rafting companies, ran a fishing lodge, and currently manages reservations, logistics, and accounting for Alaska Drift Away Fishing. Jeremy is co-owner of Alaska Drift Away Fishing and guides on the river for trout and salmon.
