Members like it. Associate Clubs serve plenty of it. And it’s good for us. We’re talking about salmon — the king of seafood.

"Salmon is, without a doubt, the most popular seafood item. We always have it on our menu," says executive chef Ken McNamee of Seattle’s Columbia Tower Club. His statements echo other chefs’ comments.

Want some other reasons for ordering salmon? Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and health care professionals believe this fat increases HDL (good cholesterol) and decreases LDL (bad cholesterol). It’s also an easy fish to cook, whether it’s just salted, peppered, and grilled, or it’s an important part of a more elaborate preparation.

However, unless you’re an avid angler, you’re probably not giving much thought to how that grilled salmon ended up on your plate. In fact, the salmon industry is multifaceted and includes sport fishing and huge canning facilities. The industry also is faced with some unique problems, such as environmental issues affecting both Atlantic and Pacific salmon. And although wild salmon runs have been dwindling for years, an increasing number of protective groups are currently fighting various issues including pollution and loss of habitat.

Salmon fishing is an important part of the industry, whether it’s a food source for a family, large-scale harvesting to supply markets, or the always popular sport fishing. A quick Internet search will turn up guides and charter services — in Alaska, Japan, Newfoundland, Lake Michigan, Scotland, Canada, England, Norway, and the state of Washington.

For Associate Club chefs, it pays to be in the right spot. Chef Ken in Seattle definitely has an advantage. "I have access to every type of Pacific salmon," he says, "and we also buy Atlantic salmon that’s farm raised in the Northwest. I buy whatever is the freshest." Executive chef Tedd DeMarco has access to wild Atlantic salmon since the Tower Club in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is on the Atlantic coast. "Although I can buy several varieties of fresh fish, salmon is the most popular, and we buy mostly wild salmon."

Some chefs say that wild salmon is a nicer product, but more difficult and expensive to acquire, depending upon your geographic location. They also agree that only a very experienced palate can distinguish the two. Perhaps farmed salmon has a better texture and a consistent taste, since the taste of wild fish is governed somewhat by their diet. However, once you add seasoning, a sauce, or herbs, there’s not a noticeable difference in the finished entrée.

Aaron Hubbard, executive chef at The Hills Country Club in the Village of the Hills, near Austin, Texas, purchases farmed salmon. "I usually buy farmed Atlantic salmon from Chile," he says. "I like to buy whole fish because it’s easier to judge the freshness of the fish. If I have a very large order, then I will order dressed salmon, which means the heads, tails, and insides have been removed, but the fish is still in one piece."

If you’re not able to catch your own, or stroll along the dock to choose a fresh chinook, there are a number of choices at the market. Salmon is available in fillets, steaks, sides, and whole fish — and should be labeled by species, whether farmed Atlantic or wild Pacific. And any variety will work in the outstanding recipes shared by the chefs.

NAPOLEON OF SALMON WITH SAUTÉED SPINACH AND SWEET CORN CREAM
This elegant and easy-to-prepare entrée is a favorite at Associate Clubs.

• 1/2 package (17.3 ounces) frozen puff pastry sheets (1 sheet)

• 1 beaten egg

• 1-1/2 pounds salmon fillets, skinned and cut into 12 pieces (about 2 ounces each)

• salt and pepper

• 3/4 cup flour

• 7 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 shallot, diced

• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

• 4 cups spinach, stemmed and washed (about 3 ounces)

• Sweet Corn Cream (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the puff pastry from the freezer and let thaw at room temperature 30 minutes. Unfold the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 3 strips along the fold lines. Cut 2 of the strips into thirds. (Use the remaining strip for another purpose, or return to the freezer.) Place the 6 pastry pieces on a baking sheet, leaving 1 inch of space on all sides. Pierce each piece several times with a fork to prevent over-raising. Brush just the top with the beaten egg. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Reduce oven temperature to 175 degrees. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a sauté pan. Add half of the salmon and brown on both sides. Place on a baking sheet on paper towels. Repeat with 3 tablespoons oil and the remaining salmon. Place the salmon in the oven to keep warm.

Wipe out the sauté pan with a paper towel. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the shallot and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the spinach and heat just until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, split each piece of puff pastry into two layers. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the Sweet Corn Cream on the middle of a serving plate. Tilt and rotate the plate to cover the bottom with cream. Place 1 piece of pastry on each plate. Place two pieces of salmon on the pastry and top with a small amount of spinach. Cover each stack with a piece of pastry and serve at once.

Yield: 6 servings.

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 ears corn, shucked
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the shallot and cook until translucent. Add the white wine and reduce until almost no liquid remains, about 6 minutes. Use a knife to cut the kernels from the corn. Add to the saucepan. Stir in the cream and reduce until thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Note: The corn cream may be strained, if desired, yielding a smooth sauce. If the cream is not strained, the sauce will have a more intense corn flavor.

CHAR GRILLED NORTHWEST SALMON WITH TERIYAKI GLAZE
Executive chef Ken McNamee of the Columbia Tower Club in Seattle shares his favorite grilled salmon recipe.

• 3 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons sake
• 3 tablespoons mirin
• 4 salmon fillets (6 ounce), skinned

Combine the soy sauce, sake, and mirin, whisking until well blended. Refrigerate if not needed immediately.

Preheat a gas grill (or prepare a charcoal fire) and heat until medium hot. The grill should be clean and well seasoned so the salmon doesn’t stick. Place presentation-side down on the grill, at an angle so the salmon is grill-marked. Cook 2 minutes and rotate at an angle to create diamond marks. Cook 2 minutes more. Turn the salmon over and begin brushing with the teriyaki glaze. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, brushing often. Avoid overcooking the salmon.

Remove from the grill and serve hot.

Yield: 4 servings.

SALMON SALAD
Sous chef Eric Wicks and executive chef Ken McNamee of the Columbia Tower Club in Seattle created this unusual salmon salad.

• 1 side of salmon, 1 to 1-1⁄2 pounds, skin on, with pin bones removed
• 1 tablespoon salmon bits
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt
• 3⁄4 cup eel sauce (see note)
• 9 ounces baby spinach
• 1 sheet nori (dried seaweed), julienned
• 12 ounces tofu, cut in 1⁄2-inch dice
• 1 cup bean sprouts or alfalfa sprouts
• Miso Dressing (recipe follows)
• enoki mushrooms (optional garnish)
• pickled burdock root (optional garnish)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use a knife, fish scaler, or the side of a teaspoon to remove the scales from the skin side of the salmon. Rinse under cold water. Remove the skin. Set the salmon aside.

To make the salmon bits, brush the skin with olive oil and salt lightly. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, skin side up. Bake until crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool before chopping into small pieces. Set aside.

Salt the skinned salmon and brush generously with eel sauce. Refrigerate at least one hour or up to 8 hours. Slice the salmon in 1⁄4-inch slices (similar to bacon) across the grain. Brush the slices with eel sauce and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. The salmon should stiffen slightly as it cools.

To serve the salad, combine the spinach, nori, tofu, and sprouts in a bowl. Toss with Miso Dressing and divide among four serving plates. Sprinkle with salmon bits. Arrange the salmon on top of the salads. Garnish with enoki mushrooms and a small amount of picked burdock root, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings.

Note: Eel sauce is an ingredient used in Japanese recipes and is available in Asian markets. It also is available from Pacific Island Market at www.asiamex.com or may be ordered by phone at 636.272.2746. The brand available is Otafuku Teriyaki Eel Sauce. Some Japanese restaurants also will sell eel sauce by the cup.

• 1⁄4 cup yellow miso paste
• 3⁄4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1⁄4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1-1⁄2 tablespoons sugar
• salt and pepper

Whisk the miso paste, vegetable oil, sesame oil, vinegar, and sugar together, blending well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until serving time.

PHYLLO-WRAPPED SALMON WITH PESTO
Executive chef Aaron Hubbard of The Hills Country Club in the Village of the Hills, near Austin, Texas, serves this tasty entrée with purple potato salad and French green beans.

• 12 sheets phyllo dough (see note)
• 1⁄2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2⁄3 cup basil pesto
• 4 salmon fillets, 5 to 7 ounces each, skinned
• salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place one sheet of phyllo on the work surface with the short end toward you. Brush very lightly with olive oil. Place another sheet of phyllo on top. Brush with olive oil. Place the third sheet on the stack and brush with oil. Dab a bit of pesto on the end of the dough nearest you, about 2 inches from the end of the dough. Place a piece of salmon on top of the pesto. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Dab more pesto down the length of the salmon. Fold the end nearest you over the top of the fish. Make a package out of the dough by folding each side over the fish. Roll the fish up in the dough, keeping the package neat and tidy. Turn the fish over so the end of the dough is on the bottom and place on a baking sheet. Brush lightly with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to hold. Repeat the process with the remaining phyllo and salmon.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an ovenproof nonstick sauté pan or skillet until medium hot. Do not overheat the oil because the phyllo might burn. Place the salmon packages in the pan, with the seam side up. Brown lightly on 3 sides, using tongs to gently turn the salmon. When ready to brown the fourth side, place the pan in the oven to finish cooking. Bake about 10 minutes, until golden. (If an ovenproof pan is not available, use a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray to finish cooking the salmon in the oven.)

Remove from the oven and place on four serving plates. Cut each package on the bias so the salmon and pesto can be seen.

Yield: 4 servings.

Note: Frozen phyllo dough should be placed in the refrigerator to thaw for 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and allow the dough to rest 2 hours at room temperature. Unwrap the dough, removing about 15 sheets from the package. Place the stack of sheets on a kitchen towel and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Cover the plastic with another towel. Re-wrap the leftover sheets and return to the refrigerator. Remove one sheet at a time from the stack, brushing with oil as indicated in the recipe. Keep the stack of sheets covered to prevent the dough from drying out.

SWEET PEPPER RAGOUT AND MEDALLIONS OF SALMON
Executive chef Tedd DeMarco of the Tower Club in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, serves this flavorful ragout over capellini pasta.

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound onions, peeled, halved and cut into wedges (2 large onions)
• 3 bell peppers (1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow), seeded, quartered, and cut into
• 1⁄2-inch strips
• 1⁄4 cup golden raisins
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1-1⁄2 pounds Atlantic salmon fillet, skinned
• salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Using a nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bell peppers, raisins, brown sugar, and wine. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered until the vegetables have softened and the wine is reduced to a syrup-like consistency, about 30 minutes.

While the ragout is reducing, preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Slice the salmon into 12 pieces about 1-inch thick, trimming as necessary to produce uniform medallions. Season the salmon generously with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the medallions and sauté until lightly browned and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and place on paper toweling on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven to keep the medallions warm.

When ready to serve, remove the ragout from the heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vinegar. Divide the ragout between four serving plates and place the medallions on top of the ragout.

If desired, the ragout and salmon may be served over pasta of choice.

Yield: 4 servings.

ESPECIALLY FOR SALMON
A few culinary terms are almost synonymous with salmon, although other fish or meat can be substituted in some cases.

Coulibiac. A traditional Russian holiday dish consisting of salmon in a crust of either brioche or puff pastry. A classy name for what is basically a fish pie, recipes typically include rice, a few herbs, and a sauce. The pie, usually oval in shape, may be sized for a single portion, a portion for two, or a larger pastry adequate for several servings.

Court bouillon. A liquid used to poach salmon and other fish. The broth is made by adding onion, vegetables, and herbs to water, along with wine or lemon juice. The mixture is brought to a boil, then allowed to simmer 15 to 30 minutes. The court bouillon is allowed to cool before using as a poaching liquid.

Croquettes. A mixture of fish or meat held together with egg, a sauce, or various other ingredients. The croquette can be shaped into a flat patty, a round ball, or an oval, and is then rolled in bread or cracker crumbs prior to being pan fried or deep fried. A classic recipe using canned salmon, the upscale version is termed "salmon cakes" and uses very finely chopped fresh salmon.

Gravlax. Paper-thin slices of raw salmon cured with a salt, sugar, and herb mixture. The herbs vary, with dill being the most common, but tarragon, cilantro, or a combination of herbs also can be used. It’s possible to home-cure salmon but easier to purchase gravlax in specialty markets.

Smoked salmon. Fresh salmon that has been either hot-smoked or cold-smoked. The main difference in the two processes is the temperature of the smokehouse. The lower temperatures of cold-smoking require the fish to remain in the smokehouse for a longer period of time. Some salmon, lox for instance, is cured in brine or a salt-sugar brine before it is smoked.

ATLANTIC VERSUS PACIFIC
There are two species of salmon — Atlantic and Pacific —and both have subtypes that vary in size, color, and migratory habits. One of the main differences between the two species, in general, is their spawning patterns. Pacific salmon spawn only once and then die. Atlantic salmon often live after spawning and many spawn more than one time.

Atlantic salmon are similar to fish in the trout family and can live to be 7 or 8 years old. Habitat destruction, especially the damming of rivers, is one reason the number of wild Atlantic salmon has declined. At least two recognized subspecies have evolved from landlocked salmon that have no access to the open sea. Much of the Atlantic salmon that reaches market is farm raised and imported to the United States from places such as Norway and Chile.

There are five types of wild Pacific salmon with variances in color and flavor. Average weights vary also and spawning weights are usually higher.

• Chinook (king) salmon are the largest of the Pacific salmon, averaging around 36 inches at maturity and weighing in at 30 pounds or so. There are records of larger fish, many exceeding 40 pounds, and some at around 100 pounds. Chinook are popular sport fish because of their size and weight with a fishing season that runs May through September. Chinook are sold fresh or frozen.

• Chum (dog) salmon have been nicknamed "dog" because the males develop teeth during spawning. The fish average about 25 inches in length and weigh 10 to 15 pounds as adults. In the past, chum were not considered sport fish. They are great fighters, however, and there is an increasing amount of interest in fishing for chum. When caught prior to spawning, a condition known as "ocean bright," chum are good quality table fare. As the run gets close to spawning, the quality deteriorates, so chum fishing requires professional guides or experienced anglers. The flesh is pale colored and can be nearly white. Because of the color, chum are not prime fish for canning. They are sold fresh, frozen, smoked, or dry-salted.

• Coho (silver) are also a premier sport fish. Fast and feisty, they are caught in both freshwater and saltwater. Coho weights vary from 6 to 12 pounds, depending on the area, but can be up to 24 pounds. Length varies, too, with the average being 18 to 24 inches. The fish have silver sides, which turn red when the fish are ready to spawn. The flesh is firm-textured, a consistent shade of red, and marketed fresh or frozen.

• Pink salmon are the smallest salmon and also the most plentiful. The males develop a humped back as they return to spawn, earning them the nickname "humpback" or "humpies." Pinks average 20 to 25 inches in length and weigh up to 12 pounds at spawning weight. Spawning runs are different in odd and even years, due to the pink’s two-year life cycle. These salmon swim in immense schools and will bite at all times of the day and night. The fish have a delicate flavor, and while they are marketed fresh or smoked, most are used for canning. Industry reports estimate that well over half of all canned salmon is pink.

• Sockeye (red) salmon average about 7 pounds, although the Alaska sportfishing record is 16 pounds, and they can measure up to 33 inches. The flesh of the sockeye is red, with a high oil content. Some sockeye is sold frozen, but it is the preferred fish for canning because of the superior texture of the flesh and the color.