Live it Up on the Last Days

None of us look forward to the end of the season, but we do look forward to the last day parking lot parties. The vibe is relaxed and energized at the same time, the masses flaunting costumes, soaking up sunshine and tricking out on the final runs. For me, it’s all about the food and the parade of “fashionable” attire (the 1980’s skier-drag queen seems to be popular), but the day is whatever you want to make it, wherever you want to make it. At most resorts you’ll find happy people enjoying bands in the parking lot, grilled grub with friends and strangers and all sorts of silly shenanigans. It’s the perfect way to wrap up a memorable year on the slopes! 

What You Need:

Cooler of frosty Beverages, including water

Sunscreen, and some kind of shade tent if you’ll be there all day

Camp Chair

Parking Lot Chow. (See recipe below)

Costume

Cash to tip band.

Ghostrider-Poached Salmon with Onions

By Executive Chef David Robinson of Squatters and Wasatch Pubs

This dish features Wasatch Brewery Ghostrider White IPA, an ale brewed with coriander. It’s an easy and quick recipe, yet sophisticated enough to impress your parking lot pals.

Ingredients:

 2 Pounds of Salmon Filet, cut into 4 pieces (about 8 oz. per person for 4 people)

 ½ Medium-Sized Onion, peeled and cut ½-inch dice

 Enough beer to come halfway up on the side of your skillet or fry pan (about 3 12-oz. cans of Wasatch Breweries Ghostrider White IPA – plus one to drink while you’re making this!)

 1 T of Chopped Fresh or Dried Dill

 2 tsp of Kosher Salt

 1 tsp of Ground Black Pepper

 1 Lemon for Garnish (wash and cut lemon into wedges, about 1-2 wedges per person) 

Tools:

 10 to 12-inch Skillet or Fry Pan with Deep Sides

 Tongs

 Large Spoon

 Slotted Spoon

Prep: Do this at home

Cut filleted salmon into 4 pieces. Feel for any pin bones (small white bones the size of pins that run down the center of the filet) in the salmon and remove them with tweezers or clean needle-nose plyers, if necessary. Wash your hands and surfaces well after working with raw fish.

Chop the onion into ½-inch dice. Cut lemon into wedges. 

Cook:

Put 2 12-ounce cans of Ghostrider White IPA into a skillet or a fry pan. Put the pan of beer on a your grill or Coleman on high heat. Have coals on one side so you can move the pan to a cooler side to simmer.

Add fresh or dried dill, salt, ground black pepper and stir.

Add onion in the pan and stir.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a gentle simmer.

Place pieces of salmon skin side down into the pan (if the salmon already has the skin removed, don’t sweat it).  The beer doesn’t have to cover the pieces of salmon. You can spoon some of the hot, flavorful liquid over the tops of the pieces to cook the topsides of them. As salmon poaches in the liquid, it will go from reddish pink to a pale shade of white-pink.

1 to 2 mins: very rare

3 to 4 mins: medium

5 to 6 minutes: well-done

Remove salmon from liquid and place on plates or a platter. Garnish with lemon wedges and sprigs of dill. Serve with ice cold Ghostrider White IPA.