Benny's Chop House Joins Nationwide Effort To Save Bristol Bay Salmon

The world's largest sockeye salmon fishery is in danger. A proposed mine in the Pebble deposit could destroy the sea life in its neighboring rivers. Fifty restaurants across the nation have joined the collaborative effort, Savor Bristol Bay, bringing awareness to the issue. Chefs have curated special menus featuring the coveted sockeye salmon- set to launch at the start of the salmon run this summer. Beginning today (July 12), Chef Jonathan Lane of Benny's Chop House (444 N. Wabash, 312-626-2444) has created a Bristol Bay menu complete with three salmon courses and a cocktail to mark the event.

Benny's special sockeye salmon menu will feature the prized fish three ways. First is a soup ($8.99) made with the fish, accompanied by potatoes, leaks, and Spanish paprika. Next is a Bristol Bay Salmon Tartare ($13.99), fit for summer, made with dill, togarashi peppers, and Focaccia bread. Lastly, Benny's will feature a coddled sockeye salmon dish ($34.99). Coddling refers to the cooking method of being covered in a container and simmered in water at low heat. The entree will be finished off with sweet corn, crab, and an Acquerello risotto. The cocktail ($11.99) paired is made with sparkling pink Rose and Small's Gin from the Pacific Northwest region- it also features dill herb which grows in abundance in Alaska's cool climate.

The king, chum, pink, sockeye and coho are the 5 species of salmon that return each year to spawn in 8 major river systems that make up Bristol Bay. For years the area has seen much success, ranking ninth in worldwide seafood producing regions. The bright orange fleshed fish is the region's most valuable commodity managed by the state. In 2009, Bristol Bay harvested 29 million fish. Being a powerhouse in the commercial seafood industry, the Bristol Bay Fisheries Reserve was enacted in 1972, to protect the operation from oil and gas development. Yet 40 years later, the salmon population is being threatened by the hard rock mining operation, Pebble Mine, not protected under the reserve.

The Pebble deposit has massive amounts of stored gold and copper and is situated in the headwaters of Kvichak and Nushagak rivers- two of the 8 rivers that Bristol Bay's salmon return each year to spawn. The Pebble Mine complex would include a dam to hold the toxic waste that is a byproduct of mining. Located in an area rich in seismic activity, it is not known if the dam can tolerate a major earthquake.

The fate of Bristol Bay lies in the hands of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) who is determining whether the proposed mine could harm the surrounding resources. Over 300 chefs have signed a letter sent out to President Obama to urge him to take a proactive step in protecting the fishery. On the local front the Savor Bristol Bay campaign is an added measure to bring nationwide awareness to this issue.

For more information, visit www.savebristolbay.org or www.bennyschophouse.com.