A Kenai Peninsula grandfather prompted by his teenage granddaughter's food allergies captured the grand prize in the 19th annual Alaska Symphony of Seafood with his maple-flavored Kylee's Alaskan Salmon Bacon.
Fred West of the Tustumena Smokehouse in Soldotna, which also offers a variety of birch-smoked wild Alaska salmon products, won first prize in the smoked salmon competition, too. During presentation of the grand prize award at the Symphony's gala soiree in Anchorage last week, West was asked by Jim Browning of the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation to tell the story behind the salmon bacon.
West, his voice filled with emotion, explained how his granddaughter Kylee suffered an allergic reaction years ago to beef, chicken and pork containing growth hormones and steroids.
He vowed to create a nutritious alternative and by the summer of 2011, his smokehouse was producing heart healthy wild Alaska salmon bacon, with all natural ingredients and no MSG or nitrates. He named the product for his granddaughter Kylee, who's now 16.
Two years of work refining his recipe followed, including a few failures such as the hot-Italian version.
"Then I got some maple syrup from Vermot and thought, 'Maybe I can cure this.' I like maple syrup and did a lot of tweaking.
"Everybody tried it and everybody liked it," he said. There's no fish smell, no fish taste. My wife even cuts it up and puts it on salads, on pizza, in a cheeseburger. But the BLTs are the best."
West chooses pink and chum salmon for his maple-flavored salmon bacon. "Sockeye has too much of a fish taste," he said. "But pinks and chums -- when I add my spice they absorb it like a sponge."
This is West's first win in the Alaska Symphony of Seafood, and it earns him an airfare-paid trip to the famed International Boston Seafood Show next month. He'll be packing samples – about 5,000 of them – with him. That means he's knocking on friends' and neighbors' doors on the Kenai Peninsula seeking extra pink or chum salmon that he can process.
Widespread notice should translate into more business. "It's hot," West said. "I got 15 orders in today. The exposure of Symphony of Salmon has totally put me in awe."
Kwik'Pak Fisheries of Emmonak took second place in the smoked fish competition with its Old Style Smoked Yukon Keta and third place with Garlic and Pepper Infused Smoked Yukon Keta.
Sweet potato crunch Alaska pollock sticks by American Pride Seafoods took first place in food-service competition. Ivory King Salmon Sashimi from Triad Fisheries placed second in food service and Louvier's Wild Alaskan Salmon Cajun Rice Dressing Croquette third.
Naturally Smoked Salmon Frank from AquaCuisine won the retail competition. Alaskan King Crab Bisque from Tracy's King Crab Shack in Juneau, placed second in retail, and Echo Falls Sockeye Salmon Pinwheels from Ocean Beauty Seafoods placed third.
Tracy's Alaskan King Carb Bisque also won the People's Choice honors at the Symphony's galas in both Seattle and Anchorage.
The grand prize winner, plus winners in smoked, food service and retail competition and the People's Choice award all get free booth space at the famed International Boston Seafood Show in March, plus air fare.
For recipies from the Alaska Symphony of Seafood, click here.
Mike Campbell of Alaska Dispatch contributed to this report. Reach Margaret Bauman at mbauman@thecordovatimes.com. This article originally appeared in The Cordova Times and is republished here with permission.