Salmon, the other red meat – at least it is when it’s wild Alaskan coho like the piece sitting on the cutting board in front of Milestone 229’s Chef Christian Hattemer. The hue is the red of cold waters, the red of a fish that has lived a muscular life, not the fake hue provided by artificial coloring in farm-raised salmon.

As Chef takes his blade to the salmon flesh, he discusses how salmon became the “go-to” fish on American menus. He explained that restaurants and retailers can either purchase the farm-raised variety, which is available year-round, or wild salmon, such as the specimen at hand. Farm-raised fish is cheap and consistent, rarely gets blowback from the customer and is making big companies a fortune. However, because these salmon lack the diet available to their wild cousins, farm fish are typically pale and white. Colorless seafood doesn’t look as appealing, so farmers add synthetic mixtures to the feed in order to achieve an orange tone.

The wild coho used in this recipe has plenty of fat, and is therefore more flavorful. Chef is quick to note that it’s the “positive” fat: the Omega-3s. “There’s a richness of flavor – it’s just more salmon-y,” he described. Like all things fresh, there is a season for coho salmon and that season ends in the fall. Of the five types of salmon, the next up in season is the pink salmon, also known as the ‘humpback salmon,’ due to a unique hump on the back of the males.

To get the most out of this simple dish, kissed with the flavors of Asia, opt for fresh salmon and veggies from your garden or the farmers market, and enjoy a last blast of summer taste before autumn is upon us.

Meet the Chef

Restaurant kitchens are notoriously stressful places. Knives flashing, pans crashing, fire licking sleeves, orders coming fast and furious – taking a breath every now and again is a must for sanity. Chef Christian Hattemer arguably has the best stress reliever in the Columbus culinary landscape – the view of the Scioto Mile fountains from Milestone 229’s floor-to-ceiling windows. “Sometimes when I’m having a day,” Chef said, “I look out and see hundreds of kids running through the water. It’s like Columbus’ backyard sprinkler. It melts away the stress and tension to see all those happy people.”

Milestone 229 has been packed since its opening in July, with lines of customers snaking around the building. Thus began the latest leg in the Cincinnati native’s journey through the world of restaurants in the 614. Along the way, Hattemer has made stops at Spinnaker’s (remember the flower pots?), Tapatio, The Refectory, Rigsby’s, M and The Bexley Monk. Detours included a two-summer stint at a salmon processing plant in Alaska, with the second summer finding Hattemer as the overnight chef, working 11 hours a day, seven days a week.

Back in Columbus, the late Bruce Hildreth of Tapatio urged the young cook to take the next step, encouraging him to go to culinary school. Hattemer attended the Culinary Institute of America, returning to apprentice with Chef Richard at The Refectory. “That was a mind-blowing experience,” he recalled, still in awe. “The kitchen was so intense, quiet and focused on the high-quality food.”

These days, Hattemer is busy getting ready to change the menu at Milestone to follow the shifting seasons. One dish that will remain is the Skillet Mac ’n Cheese, resplendent with double-smoked hickory bacon. “It was one of my goals to have the best mac ’n cheese in town,” he boasted. “I’d put our mac ’n cheese up against anyone’s . . . it’s among the best in the country.”

Standing in the midst of people enjoying the foods of his labor, Hattemer might be thinking about how he learned his way around the kitchen out of necessity as the son of two working parents. He might be chuckling to himself, remembering the bygone days when his mother used to ask him when he was going to get a real job. Now, she introduces him as “my son, the chef.” The stress melts away for a moment as Hattemer watches the families enjoying the fountains outside his restaurant windows. The children’s yelps fade as he turns to go back to the kitchen.

Grilled Alaskan Salmon with Miso-Soy Vinaigrette and Vegetable Fried Rice

Serves 2

Miso-Soy Vinaigrette 1 oz. shiro miso (white soybean paste)
4 oz. rice wine vinegar
1 oz. soy sauce
1 tsp. minced ginger
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1/4 bunch cilantro, minced
1/2 tsp. sambal (an Asian chili-based condiment)
1 tsp. honey
12 oz. olive oil

Put all ingredients, except the olive oil, in a blender and puree well. While the blender is still running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream until the sauce emulsifies (thickens). Taste and adjust seasoning to your preference.

Fried Rice
Mixed vegetables: daikon radish, bok choy, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, red onions, green cabbage and carrots (or substitute your favorites).

Quick stir-fry sauce: a slug each of orange juice, soy sauce, sambal and sesame oil with a tablespoon each of minced garlic and ginger.

*Rice: 2 cups sticky rice, prepared the day before and left uncovered in the fridge overnight.

Chop the vegetables in a uniform julienne cut. A mandolin slicer is ideal for the daikon and carrots. Achieving a matchstick cut will ensure that the vegetables cook uniformly.

Take a minute to whisk together the stir-fry sauce. In a bowl, combine the liquids with the ginger and garlic. Taste and adjust to desired seasoning – add more OJ if you’re in an orange mood, more soy if you’re going for umami. Set aside.

Toss an ample handful of the vegetable mixture per each diner into a blazing hot sauté pan. Add one-half cup of rice per person and toss together with the vegetables. Deglaze with the stir-fry sauce and cook briefly until the sauce is reduced and distributed into the rice.

*This may seem odd, but allowing the rice to dry out a bit overnight makes it easier to work with and yields better results.

Chef’s tip: don’t overload the pan – sauté in batches or use multiple pans to cook everything at an even temperature.

Grilled Salmon
2 salmon steaks

Heat the grill to super hot. Grill the salmon to your preferred doneness. For Chef Hattemer, the fish is done the moment the muscles begin to separate, while the interior of the fish is still translucent. Don’t forget to pay attention to the grill marks. Pull the salmon off the grill and let it rest.

Bringing it together
Place a generous pile of rice onto the center of a plate. Spoon a decent amount of miso-viniagrette over the rice (or use a squirt bottle if you’re feeling industrial), top with the salmon and garnish with sprigs of cilantro.