New portioned packages of Alaska cod fillets marinated with lemon, herbs and butter hit retail markets on Sept. 27, the first of several flavors of wild cod fillets anticipated from Alaska Leader Fisheries, an integrated hook and line fishing firm.
Company officials were on hand as the product debuted in nine Washington State and Oregon Costco stores.
The product is expected to debut soon too in Alaska Costco stores, said Keith Singleton, a spokesman for Alaska Leader.
Singleton and Norm Van Vactor, president and executive director of the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp., in Dillingham, a community development quota firm partnered with Alaska Leader.
“We’re rolling out our first flavor,” said Singleton, adding that there would be more flavors to come of the frozen cod portions.
Packaging instructions detail how to pre-heat the oven, and have the cod portions ready to serve on a bed of garnishments in about 15 minutes.
What’s key to this product, said Van Vactor, is that the cod is harvested in some of the most modern boats in the industry.
The equipment on these boats, their bleeding systems, and high efficiency equipment produce some of the best cod in the Bering Sea, he said.
The longline fishery catches the cod one fish at a time on a hook. The cod is processed immediately and frozen very quickly, and vacuum packed to retain its flavor and texture.
Trimmings, along with odds and ends from the processing line are then processed into another product, a canine pet treat, Wild Alaskan Cod Crunchies, which is already in retail markets.
The dried cod chips are for dogs of all sizes, Van Vactor said.
