coho salmon
Coho salmon's mild, clean flavor is a favorite of salmon lovers and non salmon lovers alike.
FAQS
How do I thaw my coho portions, and how long are they good in the fridge for?
Toss your sealed package in the fridge for 24-36 hours, and allow to thaw slowly. Best use within 72 hours of being thawed, but will be fine in the fridge for more than 72 hours. Note: After 24 hours, it's important to break the seal on your portion's bag. At a minimum, simply puncture a hole in the bag and toss it back in the fridge... But best case scenario, you should remove it from the packaging, rinse briefly under cold water, place on a clean paper towel, and wrap the whole thing lightly in Saran Wrap before storing back in the fridge.
Can I eat my coho salmon raw, or does it need to be cooked? Is it sushi safe?
Our coho salmon is 100% sushi safe, and can be eaten raw! We recommend making sashimi, poke, or even just cooking your portion rare (a personal favorite of Jess's.)
Are there pin-bones in it?
Collars and mids both have pin-bones in, whereas tail pieces are naturally pin-bone free. Depending on the meal, you're free to pluck pinbones either before or after cooking. It's nice to get it out of the way before cooking.... But if the pinbones will still be accessible after cooking (such as in a simple baked portion), they're easier to pluck after cooking.
How long do coho portions take to cook?
Depends on the method. For your average bake or grilled coho portion (on medium-high heat), it should only take about 8 minutes - or until an instant read thermometer reads 125 - 130F. As a rule: when you think it needs a few more minutes... Pull it from the heat it will likely finish cooking on the countertop.
What's the best way to cook coho portions?
We like all the ways. But here's some tips:
Baking Fast: Set your oven to 400F, place your fish on a baking sheet. I like to top with a little butter or EVOO, and bake for about 8 minutes - or until the fish flakes easily when poked.
Baking SLOW: Set your oven to 225F, and bake for 25 - 30 minutes. In this method, the proteins break down so slowly, it can be tough to tell when the fish is done. But it results in a more tender meat, and we prefer it to fast baking. Doneness can me measured with the "poke" method, or with an instant read thermometer.
GRILL: Set grill to medium-high, brush with oil of choice. Grill flesh side down for about 5 minutes, flip, and finish skin side down for about 3. For a gentler grill, use your cast iron to pan sear, inside of the grill. This one of our favorite methods to use with our traegar.
PANsear: Similar to grilling, heat fat of choice in a thick bottomed pan over medium-high heat, and add fish flesh side down first. Cook for about 5 minutes, flip, and finish skin side down. for about 3.
About our
salmon fishery
MethoD
Our salmon is caught using hook and line, in a fishery called "power trolling". Power refers to the fact that we use hydraulic motors to reel in each of our four lines. Each line has between 10 - 25 hooks on it, for a total of 40 - 100 hooks being dragged at a time. Each line is weighed down with a lead cannonball, weighing roughly 70 lbs each.
Management
The Southeast Alaska power troll salmon fishery is managed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The fishery opens up on July 1, and typically closes on September 20, depending on run timing and escapement (the number of fish that have safely made it to their spawning river). It also closes for about a week in August, to allow migrating king salmon to pass through.
Region
Our permit allows us to fish from Cape Suckling (near Cordova) all the way down to the Canadian border, south of Ketchikan. Our preferred region though is from Sitka to Yakutat, as shown on the map.
Sustainability
Since our fish are all caught by hook, any unwanted catch (aka "by-catch") can be safely returned to the sea. Common by-catch includes rockfish - which we're allowed to retain, as well as king salmon, pink salmon, and halibut - all of which are safely returned to the ocean.
