Talisker and Copper River Salmon

Talisker is one of the premier single malt scotches and I recently had the opportunity to taste their entire product line: 10, 18, 25, Distiller's Edition, and the 175th Anniversary Edition. I enjoyed them all, but the most interesting and my favorite scotch was the 25 year. Fans of Talisker will know that it is famous for its taste of the sea, smoke, and pepper. The 10 year practically shouts this at you, while the 18 year was much more subdued in its flavor profile. The 25 year old surprised me after tasting the 18, in that it had a much more pronounced peppery profile than the 18. It was as if the 18 was a gangly teenager unsure of itself, while the 25 year old was confident man.

Copper River salmon are just about at the end of their short season. My favorite grocery store, Whole Foods, just happened to have a supply and I jumped at the chance. I believe that pristine, beautiful fish such as Copper River salmon should be prepared as simply as possible in order to enjoy their great flavors, so I brushed the fillets with a little olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and cracked pepper and tossed them on the grill. Oh, they were delicious. I cooked them such that they were translucent and creamy in the center. I suppose you could call it medium rare. The crisped skin, often neglected by many, just put me over the top. It was a moment of culinary ecstasy. If only I could eat this way every day.

Here's a little jazz to enjoy with your next scotch, Copper River Salmon, or your next meal. There are a couple of bands that I must make mention of in this playlist. The Metta Quintet, Cuarteto Sonando, and Avram Fefer, Bobby Few, and Wilber Morris all make outstanding music. If you only listen to a portion of this list, make sure you check out these artists. Click here to listen.

1. Fast Forward - Metta Quintet-Jazz Reach
2. The Call To All - C.O.M.A.
3. The Political Mistral - Brad Wheeler
4. Floating - Alexander McCabe
5. Three - Antonio Farao
6. Seven Steps to Heaven - Cuarteto Sonando
7. Brush - Reuben Radding
8. Tribute To Duke And Mingus - Odean Pope Trio
9. Chazz - Avram Fefer, Bobby Few, and Wilber Morris
10. Frida K. The Beautiful - Triptych Myth
11. Water / Earth - Michael Jefry Stevens / Dominic Duval Quintet
12. Cumplicidade - Ivo Perelman
13. Homer Simpson - BeebleBrox
14. Ah, George, We Hardly Knew Ya - Chico Freeman Quintet...
15. Rallier - Gerry Hemingway Quartet