Meet Jazz Leaf—former private chef and nutritional therapist, known for her wholesome approach to cooking and knack for making salmon a kitchen staple. With a background as a personal chef to NBA athletes, Jazz has mastered the art of creating quick, nourishing meals using salmon—a protein she finds easy to prepare, yet packed with nutrients, perfect for fueling athletes. Her simple air-fried salmon recipe even went viral, garnering over 18 million views and introducing a wave of home cooks to her accessible, delicious dishes.

Recently, Jazz took her love for salmon to new depths on an immersive, 5-day journey to Cordova, Alaska, where she explored the Copper River fishery. Through this experience, she gained a profound respect for the sustainability practices and dedication behind every Copper River salmon. She learned how strict regulations ensure the health of the fishery, and she saw the lengths fishermen go to bring this prized salmon to the market.

One of the most inspiring moments for Jazz came when a local deckhand shared, “We work for the fish. The fish tell us when we go out.” This simple statement stuck with Jazz, revealing the fishery's deep commitment to respecting the natural rhythm of the salmon. Now, Jazz feels even more passionate about sharing this story with her audience, helping them not only to cook and enjoy salmon but to appreciate the journey it takes from river to plate.

In this blog series, Jazz recounts her transformative experience in Alaska, sharing her new insights, favorite recipes, and tips for making Copper River salmon a delicious, sustainable choice for any home cook. Come along as she shares Alaska’s wild flavors, bringing the richness of its harvest straight to your kitchen!

JJ: What is your relationship with salmon? 

Jazz: Salmon has always been a huge staple in my kitchen. I really feel like it is the easiest protein to cook. The flavor is super versatile and tends to work really well in a variety of cooking methods. I started cooking it a lot when I was a private chef to these pro-NBA athletes because it was such a quick protein to cook and I found that it really nourished them whether it was before games, after practice, after games, they got a ton of nutrients; it was really fatty and it was easy to pair it with a rice or a pasta so that's when I really started to get familiar with it. As I started to learn a little more about salmon, I started to learn some really easy cooking methods and funny enough, salmon was actually the first recipe that I ever went viral with on Instagram and TikTok; I think it had over 18 million views. So, I made a simple air fryer salmon recipe and from there it's become my staple thing to cook for my family and social media. 

JJ: That’s actually how I found you because of that viral video. I was like, “This is so cool!” I had just gotten my first air fryer and was ready to make the recipe. It felt like a new thing that I hadn’t seen before, so it was a pretty cool introduction to your cooking. 

Jazz: Oh I love that! It’s near and dear to my heart and now I’m always like how can I create another viral salmon recipe.

JJ: What was the most surprising thing you learned about Prince William Sound/Copper River Salmon during your visit to Cordova? 

Jazz: I was really surprised about the regulations around the fishery. The fact that the state manages the openers–and that it's only open between May and September–I had no idea that it was only open for a few months. And on top of that, that it's only open for a certain amount of time during that period makes it truly a sustainable industry. I also didn’t realize that fishermen drive somewhere between 7-10 hours to get to their fishing spot every time there’s an opener. This is such an extensive fishery and I was so surprised by the dedication to it. 

JJ: What inspired you the most about the tour and could you incorporate this inspiration into your content and recipes? 

Jazz: Probably what inspired me the most was the respect for the fish. I remember when we were on the docks and we ran into your friend who was a deckhand and we were asking her “what's going on, when are you gonna go back out?" and she said “We work for the fish. The fish are going to tell us when we will go out.” For me that was such a huge moment where I thought it's not really about the people, it's about the fish and what they need so I feel like I realized in that moment that it’s all about the fish. The way I can incorporate this back into my work is to just respect the food that we eat. Every time I eat it I know exactly where it comes from. Being able to hold the fish before it got processed was such an amazing experience that has enhanced my appreciation for the whole process. 

JJ: I really do think having that hands-on experience and knowledge that you get up here really does make you appreciate and value what you are cooking more, which I know you already had, but it really does just add that extra touch to it. 

Jazz: Absolutely, yes. 100%. 

JJ: How would you describe the taste and texture of freshly caught Prince William Sound/Copper River salmon to your followers?

Jazz: Oh, that's a good one! I’ve really never experienced something so buttery and light and it's truly the best salmon I’ve ever tasted. The only thing I can think of is buttery, light, tasty, fatty and delicious. I can't think of one way during the entire five days that we were there that I was not impressed and I think that gives an ode to the salmon. I don’t think anything can ever compare to 

JJ: Any last thoughts? 

Jazz: There was one conversation that I had with your team towards the end of the trip – I think it was the last day – that really put things into a wonderful perspective for me. It had to do with the fact that coming back to my reality and getting people to understand what Copper River salmon is was something I wanted to relay to my audience. The number one goal is to get people comfortable with cooking and eating salmon, as it can be a bit of a different protein that not everyone is used to. I think people are familiar with steak and chicken, so number one is to get people comfortable with salmon and then number two, if we can, get people familiar with wild Alaska salmon because it supports the fisheries and all of it is wild. And if we can take it a step further when people get comfortable and it becomes a staple part of their diet, getting them to choose Copper River salmon for its exceptional flavor and nutrient profile. Going little by little may be helpful because it may be hard for people who have never cooked salmon before to buy this delicacy which is Copper River salmon. Just getting people comfortable with it and taking these steps towards the end goal I feel is really attainable and hopefully we can get more people to go in that direction. 

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