“It’s not that far off from any other sockeye you have. It’s a little richer. It’s got those gorgeous colours, that gorgeous deep, deep pink,” says Scott Adair, executive chef at the Watermark Beach Resort, who likes serving it grilled as a main or cold-smoked for appetizers. “It just goes with everything.”

Chef Jeff Van Geest adds a Latin twist to ONA sockeye in his sockeye salmon ceviche, served with Thorp’s organic cucumbers, Sicilian olives, espelette pepper aioli, polenta crisps appetizer. As an entrée, ONA sockeye is presented with a rich romesco sauce, grilled scallions and squash fritters.

Chef Rod Butters uses ONA salmon year-round on his ultra-local menus at RauDZ Regional Table. It features in his signature sockeye salmon BLT with anise toast, black fig chutney, pancetta and heirloom tomatoes. ONA sockeye is also cured in-house for the potted smoked salmon on the restaurant’s cold plate appetizer.~2012

Chef Stuart is a huge supporter of this local, sustainable, high quality fish, and the ONA initiative to bring local sockeye back. Klassen bathes the salmon fillet in a rice wine and butter sauce and perches it on a bed of eggplant, bok choy and braised lentils, with a local farm vegetable in a soy-mirin sauce. He’s also a fan of putting sockeye salmon “bacon” on his special event. ~2012