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Copper River King Salmon


brucedelta

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I have never really sought out the Chinok (Cooper river king) before, but I really like Salmon so would like to try to find some this year while the season is on. Anyone notice it on the menu anywhere?

Better yet a place I can get into on Sat night.

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btw, "chinook" is another nomenclature for king salmon. It can come from many different river systems, not just Copper River. That said, Copper River is renowned for being the earliest of the chinook runs as well as, arguably, the tastiest.

Bob Libkind aka "rlibkind"

Robert's Market Report

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That said, Copper River is renowned for being the earliest of the chinook runs as well as, arguably, the tastiest.

Absolutely ... I've been lucky enough to be in Seattle when the salmon start running and places like Elliott's on Pike Wharf will fly the catch down in chartered planes and hold a festival akin to bistros in Paris, waiting for the first of the beaujolais to arrive. I've had the chance to taste Copper River vs other sources and even an untrained salmon palate like mine can tell the difference!!

There are now a number of sources that will FedEx a Copper River salmon (filleted or whole) to you, in case you prefer to do your cooking at home. Expensive -- they pack in dry ice -- but it's as fresh as you can get.

JasonZ

JasonZ

Philadelphia, PA, USA and Sandwich, Kent, UK

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There are now a number of sources that will FedEx a Copper River salmon (filleted or whole) to you, in case you prefer to do your cooking at home. Expensive -- they pack in dry ice -- but it's as fresh as you can get.

JasonZ

Actually that was my first thought after reading the article from this past weekend Wall St Journal where they had Tom Colicchio (Top Chef & Craft NYC) prepare it as the weekly recipie column. But as I realized the cost I decided I should have someone make it for me and then if I wish I can still get a order in for the following week.

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But as I realized the cost I decided I should have someone make it for me and then if I wish I can still get a order in for the following week.

Bruce,

You don't have to have someone else make it for you... Follow V's king salmon method from this thread about a year ago this time. You can't get much better than this.

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Picked up some at Wegman's today. I definitely want to try V's method, however, this time around I just did a real simple pan sear, medium-rare. Definitely the most righteous piece of salmon I've ever made. I used to believe I wasn't a big fan of salmon, but I think I was a victim of farmed salmon, and lack of cooking skills. I've since sworn to only buy wild salmon, and I've also learned how to cook it without brutalizing it, and as a result, I now have a renewed love for salmon!

__Jason

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I am finally able to get Copper River King Salmon directly from the source I use in Alaska (I don't like to buy it through local distributors...). It's being sent from my supplier in Alaska via Fedex after the next catch (they run 12 hour openers once or twice a week during the season) and will arrive next tuesday or wednesday. It's available lunch or dinner, and I highly recommend checking it out if you have never had the pleasure. After working with CRKS for a number of years I can say that is undeniably the best salmon available. We slow roast it on the skin, rendering the skin to crisp, while keeping the salmon medium rare. I haven't decided on the accoutrements, but I know some tartare will also be available.

Townsend Wentz

Twenty21

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I am finally able to get Copper River King Salmon directly from the source I use in Alaska (I don't like to buy it through local distributors...).  It's being sent from my supplier in Alaska via Fedex after the next catch (they run 12 hour openers once or twice a week during the season) and will arrive next tuesday or wednesday.  It's available lunch or dinner, and I highly recommend checking it out if you have never had the pleasure.  After working with CRKS for a number of years I can say that is undeniably the best salmon available.  We slow roast it on the skin, rendering the skin to crisp, while keeping the salmon medium rare.  I haven't decided on the accoutrements, but I know some tartare will also be available. 

Townsend Wentz

Twenty21

I just called a little while ago and was told they had not caught any yet. I thought that suspicious based on the cwdonald post. But now I understand. In any case the nice lady I spoke with took my number to add me to the "Cooper River King list", so now I expect a call next week I guess.

Wegmans CHerry hill reports it is available, SO I will probably get some there to make using the above referenced recipie over the weekend.

-- Bruce

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Brucedelta,

I spoke with the desk to let them know I have it coming in, and provided a more THOROUGH understanding of what it entails...thanks for the heads up. I have in the past purchased CRKS through some of my local purveyors and recieved troll caught king, sockeye, or other river caught king. I now use an exclusive purveyor in Alaska, and always get what I (and in turn, the guest) pay for. The first two openers (two weeks ago) produced an extremely limited king catch, and a sockeye catch at %60 of previous levels. Last week, prices were up and supply short. This week things have normalized, but missed the early week opener, which puts delivery late into the week with the second opener, so I passed. I have west coast Morels and Porcini coming in with the CRKS, and I would expect some on the dish....

Townsend

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Picked up a nice Copper King fillet at John Yi at the Reading Terminal this afternoon for $13.49 per lb. The woman at the counter packed my fillet carefully and even wrapped some ice in plastic and put it in with the fillet to keep it cold. Will grill on a cedar plank tonight with some potlatch and report.

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Picked up a nice Copper King fillet at John Yi at the Reading Terminal this afternoon for $13.49 per lb.  The woman at the counter packed my fillet carefully and even wrapped some ice in plastic and put it in with the fillet to keep it cold.  Will grill on a cedar plank tonight with some potlatch and report.

Hmm, $13.49/lb for Copper River King? When the supply is apparently extremely limited? Skeptical. Ah, gotta love RTM.

Edited by dagordon (log)
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Picked up a nice Copper King fillet at John Yi at the Reading Terminal this afternoon for $13.49 per lb.  The woman at the counter packed my fillet carefully and even wrapped some ice in plastic and put it in with the fillet to keep it cold.  Will grill on a cedar plank tonight with some potlatch and report.

Hmm, $13.49/lb for Copper River King? When the supply is apparently extremely limited? Skeptical. Ah, gotta love RTM.

Sounds more like sockeye. Per a topic on NJ board, Costco is selling it for $9.99.

btw John Yi, in my experience, always offers to bag purchases in ice.

Bob Libkind aka "rlibkind"

Robert's Market Report

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I am finally able to get Copper River King Salmon directly from the source I use in Alaska (I don't like to buy it through local distributors...).  It's being sent from my supplier in Alaska via Fedex after the next catch (they run 12 hour openers once or twice a week during the season) and will arrive next tuesday or wednesday.  It's available lunch or dinner, and I highly recommend checking it out if you have never had the pleasure.  After working with CRKS for a number of years I can say that is undeniably the best salmon available.  We slow roast it on the skin, rendering the skin to crisp, while keeping the salmon medium rare.  I haven't decided on the accoutrements, but I know some tartare will also be available. 

Townsend Wentz

Twenty21

Anyone interested in a Twenty21 outing to try the CRKS that Chef Townsend will be preparing. Obviously timing may be a bit difficult, but if it comes in Tue or Wed I guess that makes wed or thur the best day. Maybe lunch is a good play!

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13.49/lb? No WAY is that Copper River. It's 25.99/lb in Seattle, 2000 miles closer to the source! :raz:

That being said, CR is not the _best_ salmon you can get; it's very subjective. Some of the line-caught stuff out of the Columbia River will knock your socks off. Lots of this is marketing...

Picked up a nice Copper King fillet at John Yi at the Reading Terminal this afternoon for $13.49 per lb.  The woman at the counter packed my fillet carefully and even wrapped some ice in plastic and put it in with the fillet to keep it cold.  Will grill on a cedar plank tonight with some potlatch and report.

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That being said, CR is not the _best_ salmon you can get; it's very subjective.  Some of the line-caught stuff out of the Columbia River will knock your socks off.  Lots of this imarketing...

IMHO, landing, handling and distribution is at least as important as the geographic home, i.e., Copper River, Columbia river, Bristol Bay, etc. So, Marketing, since it encompasses landing, handling and distribution as well as pricing, sales, advertising and pr, is important.

Last Saturday's Wall Street Journal article on Copper River Salmon and Tom Colicchio's thoughts and technique, provided a bit of history of how CRS came to be so revered. The writer, Katy McLaughlin, recounts how a former fisherman, Jon Rowley, convinced one Cordova AK fisherman he could sell his salmon for considerably more money if he would gut them, bleed them and chill them on board immediately upon catching rather than transport the fish to a landside processor. That, coupled with quick air delivery to Seattle restaurants, would earn the super premium price.

It started with the one fisherman in 1983, but when the others saw the price their colleague was getting, many more followed suit. By 1988, when I first tried Copper River King at Ray's Boathouse in Seattle, the supremacy of this fish had been established. By the following year, at the latest, Cutter's in Philadelphia was serving it. (At the time, Cutter's was owned by a medium-sized quality restaurant group based in Seattle that also owned Ray's Boathouse.)

Bottom line: it's no just the fish, it's how it gets to you.

I'd love to conduct the experiment in which salmon from various river runs are processed and transported identically and then taste-tested. I'm sure Copper River would do well, but I'd imagine other Kings would be its match.

Bob Libkind aka "rlibkind"

Robert's Market Report

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I just called a little while ago and was told they had not caught any yet.  I thought that suspicious based on the cwdonald post.  But now I understand.  In any case the nice lady I spoke with took my number to add me to the "Cooper River King list", so now I expect a call next week I guess.

cooper river king salmon? it may be local, but i don't know that it would actually be salmon.... :raz:

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mrbigjas. Such a wiseacre! :raz:

There have been many things found in the Cooper River, but I agree salmon is likely not native.

Bruce, you might want to check that typo. eh? :rolleyes:

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

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Yeah, Cooper River is probably not having a salmon run any time soon....anyone for Perch?

As for other salmon: I have had other fish substituted for the Copper River, troll caught and otherwise, and it is NOT the same. It is how it is handled, its genetic makeup, and yes, the marketing. It is the benefit of having it delivered Fedex, after having been out of the water 24-48 hours, instead of being delivered to a NY distributor (1 extra day), then sent to a Philadelphia distributor (another extra day), and then, perhaps, to whomever is putting it in their case (where it spends how many days priced at 20.00 plus a pound). While it is subjective, I have spent many years seeking and purchasing the very best that is available, whether it be vegetables, fish, meat, or other artisinal products. IN MY OPINION, Copper River is the best, and that endorsement doesn't come lightly....

(FYI, while Twenty21 is in the former Cutter's space, we are not affiliated in any way.)

Townsend

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So I walked into work this evening and found the kitchen butchering the most gloriously beautiful fish I've ever made the acquaintance of before getting the chance to taste him. A sixteen pound and change gorgeous Copper River Sockeye salmon. The fish looked as if he'd jumped out of the river and onto the cutting board in our kitchen. Still bright eyed and fresh looking, the staff was fortunate enough to get a little taste of it before service this evening. Fabulously buttery and silky and almost highway cone orange in color. Really some of the tastiest salmon I've ever had. Tonight's preparation was with artichoke barigoule and olive oil. Menu promises to change tomorrow. I'll report back when the final preparation is decided upon.

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

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So I walked into work this evening and found the kitchen butchering the most gloriously beautiful fish I've ever made the acquaintance of before getting the chance to taste him.  A sixteen pound and change gorgeous Copper River Sockeye salmon.

If you think the sockeye's good (and it is), wait 'til you taste a Copper River King!

Bob Libkind aka "rlibkind"

Robert's Market Report

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So I walked into work this evening and found the kitchen butchering the most gloriously beautiful fish I've ever made the acquaintance of before getting the chance to taste him.  A sixteen pound and change gorgeous Copper River Sockeye salmon.

Just curious what the yeild would be on that and how long it would last?

I know when I fabricate fish I get maybe a 60% yield (usually tired from fishing and boat washing) so I would guess a pro gets a 75 or 80% yield. Probably more if you count using the trimming and small parts for other things like a tartare or ravioli filling.

so a 16# fish would yeild 12# usable @ 8 oz per portion that would be 24 servings I guess. So maybe 2 or 3 nights as a special at an M sized establishment.

On another front I did pick up some copper river king from the wegmans near cooper river. Used the roasting method from the above link and can report the fish was excellent. Also made a piece of atlantic farm raised for comparison reference. I hope to get some more and poach in infused olive oil over the weekend. Will then have full report on fish and technique results.

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