The Essentials Set

Copper River salmon have to swim 300 miles up the stream of an icy cold Copper River Watershed to get to their spawning grounds. They have to gather enough muscle and fat to survive this tremendous journey. The high fat content gives Copper River salmon its incredible taste, moist texture and a lot of Omega-3 acids, one of the most important nutrients in any fish.

​This unique salmon is praised amongst the top chefs for its taste and texture qualities, while home cooks also enjoy the simplicity. Copper River salmon tastes so good that the only other ingredient you need is a little bit of salt.

​High quality brings high demand, but whether you look for kings, sockeyes, or cohos,  Copper River salmon is hard to get. Knowing its uniqueness and fragile balance in the ecosystem, everyone involved in the Copper River fishery works towards a sustainable future. Fishing season is short with areas and times regulated to guarantee the needed escapement for future populations to thrive year after year.

Fishermen are often considered lucky to be able to participate in the Copper River fishery and they are known to be a poster child of quality fish handling and temperature control.

Copper River king salmon has the shortest fishing season, usually from mid to late May until late June, early July. Copper River sockeyes can be caught from mid May until late July and cohos usually run from early August until late September.

Copper River sockeye salmon is more expensive than regular sockeye because of where and how it’s harvested, and how it’s handled. Think of it as the “wagyu beef” of salmon. Copper River sockeye (same as Copper River coho and king) are specifically from the Copper River fishing district, in South Central Alaska, full of pristine, glacial-fed waters. The salmon swim free range for 3-7 years in the Pacific ocean to build up fat and muscle for their 300 mile journey against the strong and cold river current back to their spawning grounds in the Chugach mountains.

The fish are harvested by one person, on a small boat, each one picked from the net, by hand. There are no mass fishing boats allowed in the district. The fishery is a poster child for quality and sustainability, unlike many fisheries around the globe where fish stocks are drained. 

The fishing fleet is less than 500 boats, all of which undergo specific training and protocols for how to properly handle each fish after catch with particular bleeding and slush-ice storage methods. 

Fishing for Copper River salmon is an art form. The technique has not changed much over centuries, which is becoming more and more rare as working waterfronts collapse due to mismanagement - something you do not need to worry about when sourcing from the Copper River.

Flash freezing fish right after catch is the only way to preserve its quality. Fish in general have very short shelf life and they start to spoil right out of the water. Bringing fish from Alaska without freezing can negatively affect the appearance, structure and taste.

It's a seasonal fish so you need to stock up in the summer to enjoy it year-round. We freeze our fish at peak freshness, as soon after the catch as possible, so when you thaw them out before cooking, they taste as fresh as they were when they came out of the ocean.

Halibut is not like haddock or walleye and does not fall apart when cooking. It is a very steaky fish and maintains it’s structure when grilling, baking, pan-searing or air frying. Because our fish is sushi-grade, we always recommend to cook it for less time than you think, so as not to dry it out. Fish also continues to cook once it's removed from the heat source.

We like to say that “halibut is the white fish that ruins every other white fish” because it is so darn good. It literally does not taste like fish. It is super “steaky” and mild in flavor which makes it a popular choice on restaurant menus.

Sablefish is also called Black Cod or Pacific Butterfish. It is a super healthy fish with a buttery texture and sweet flavor. It has more omega-3 fatty acids than Copper River king salmon! It may be the most underrated wild Alaskan fish on the market.

Majority of the Alaskan sablefish catch gets exported (mostly to Japan), but in recent years it has been steadily gaining popularity in the US.

Imagine a super fresh high end cod that’s cooked in a lot of butter. Silky and buttery, with a very recognizable sweet taste. All you need is salt and pepper and sablefish, or black cod as a lot of people call it, will not disappoint.

Like our salmon and halibut, you can just add salt and pepper and bake, pan-sear, fry, grill or air-fry and you will end up with a fantastic meal comparable to a high end restaurant. We’ll give you instructions for each cooking method with your order. Also check out this popular post - Top 5 Best Sauces for Sablefish.