Barton Seaver Cooks Up a Fair Trade Meal: Yukon River Salmon with Coral Red Jasmine Rice Pilaf

National Geographic Fellow, TV show host, cookbook author and celebrity chef Barton Seaver is an influential voice in the culinary world--not only because of his natural talent in the kitchen, but also because of his passion for sustainable foods. He embraces an entirely new kind of casual cooking featuring seafood that hasn’t been overfished or harvested using destructive methods.

He knows that small actions, like what you eat and what you buy can result in big changes that are felt around the world. That’s why Seaver has teamed up with Fair Trade USA this Fair Trade Month to help spread the word about Fair Trade and to share a delicious recipe that supports socially and environmentally sustainable products. 

Seaver’s love of food began around the family dinner table and he has spent his life traveling the world in pursuit of sustainable food options. He has written several cookbooks, his most recent entitled For Cod and Country, and his show on the National Geographic Channel called Cook-Wise “explores sustainability, community, and environmental concerns as they relate to one of the world’s most common rituals—dinner.” Barton has also worked with National Geographic to design the Seafood Decision Guide. The Monterey Bay Aquarium recognizes Seaver as a sustainability leader, and in 2008 he received both the Seafood Choices Alliance’s Seafood Champion Award and the title “Rising Culinary Star of the Year” from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. In 2009, he was named Esquire magazine’s Chef of the Year.  This October, Barton has extended his commitment to socially and environmentally sustainable cooking through his support of Fair Trade.

“Fair Trade is a global effort to alleviate poverty in developing countries.  It’s all about small changes that you can make as a consumer to ensure that the farmers and workers who produce the food we eat every day are treated fairly and paid fairly for all their hard work.” - Barton Seaver

The recipe below, created by Barton in honor of Fair Trade Month, features several Fair Trade Certified™ ingredients including Red Coral Jasmine Rice from Alter Eco. Farmers of the Agrarian Cooperative of Surin in eastern Thailand cultivate this Fair Trade Certified rice using traditional methods that ensure quality and respect for the environment. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides have been replaced with organic fertilizers and natural plant extracts to produce this premium quality, environmentally friendly rice.

By cooking with Fair Trade Certified ingredients  and by choosing sustainable seafood options you can rest assured that your meal supports a system that benefits businesses, consumers, farmers and the earth. Enjoy!

Yukon River Salmon with Coral Red Jasmine Rice Pilaf

The color of the red rice against the pink of the salmon makes for a stunning presentation, especially when studded with the bright green of fresh herbs. This dish is great for entertaining as the fish cooks very slowly in the oven giving you plenty of time to cook the rice and other dishes while also being a good host.

Ingredients

4 ea. 4 ounce fillets Yukon River Salmon, boneless and skinless

Salt to taste

Frontier Fair Trade Black Pepper, to taste

2 cups Alter-Eco Fair Trade Coral Red Jasmine Rice, washed and drained

2 tablespoons Canaan Fair Trade Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling

1 small onion, peeled and diced

1/2 bunch parsley leaves picked

5 sprigs mint, leaves picked

1 clove Frontier Fair Trade Certified Nutmeg  

Directions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees

For the salmon, season the fillets with salt and pepper and place on a greased baking tray. Place the tray in the oven and cook for approximately 25 minutes per inch of thickness.

For the rice, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauce pan. Add the diced onion and cook over high heat until translucent.

Add the rice and toss to coat in the oil. Toast the rice over high heat for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly until the rice is fragrant. Add 3 1/2 cups water and season with salt. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover and allow to cook for about 15 minutes or until the rice is fluffy and all of the water is absorbed. Add the picked herbs and fluff the rice with a fork to incorporate and let rest.

To serve, divide the rice amongst plates and place the salmon fillets on top. Drizzle the plates with a thin stream of olive oil. Grate a few strokes of the nutmeg over the top of the salmon and around the plate. Serve immediately.

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