These Sockeye Salmon Lettuce Wraps Are My Ideal Sustainable Summer Dinner

What's your ideal summer weeknight dinner? I'm partial to something that comes together quickly, packs bright, seasonal flavors, and has enough protein1 to keep me fueled for the hours of sunlight still ahead. In short: these salmon lettuce wraps.

This recipe calls for sockeye—a delightfully firm, flaky salmon native to the West Coast of North America. It's one of the less expensive types of fish I spotted in my local Whole Foods, coming in at about $20 per pound.

Having recently returned from a trip with Alaska Seafood, I know that this price reflects the fact that sockeye is abundant in Alaska waters right now. Strict state fisheries management laws govern how much time Alaska fishermen can spend catching each type of fish.

If populations are too low at any point, that stock is closed to fishing to give it time to rebound. This helps ensure that no one species is ever overharvested, leading to a more sustainable wild fish industry (there are no finfish farms in Alaska).

So far, all signs point to a great year for sockeye populations, so you can feel good tossing this flavorful catch into your cart.

A tangy, sweet slaw is a punchy complement to the rich, oily salmon—which gets cut into strips before cooking to ensure a generous sauce-to-fish ratio. Even if you're not usually a salmon skin fan, I'd encourage you to keep it on for this recipe. Sockeye skin is packed with omega-3s, and it has a very mild taste that practically dissolves in the flavorful sauce.