Copper River salmon headed for Anchorage, Seattle

Anders Miller, a manager at Pike Place Fish Market, talks with a customer in Seattle on Saturday, May 19, 2018. File photo by Emily Mesner for The Cordova Times

Commercial harvesters were headed for the fishing grounds, while commercial pilots were preparing to load up fresh catch kings and sockeyes in the wake of the celebrated Copper River salmon opener May 16.

Anticipated rain and temperatures ranging from the low 40s to low 50s failed to put a damper on the enthusiasm spreading from Cordova to Anchorage and Seattle, where executive chefs at upscale restaurants in both cities were waiting to receive their first fish.

In Anchorage, thanks to efforts of 60° North Seafoods of Cordova and 10th & M Seafoods, several chefs were awaiting the arrival of some of that first catch, to prepare and serve it to diners even before the first opener closed at 7 p.m. that day.

“As soon as I have one in my hands, I will then put it on the menu,” said Travis Haugen, executive chef and co-owner of Southside Bistro, an upscale Anchorage restaurant where fresh Alaska seafood in season is always an entrée option.

10th & M Seafoods in Anchorage was expecting to receive a fresh catch combination of 800 -1,000 pounds of Copper River kings and sockeyes by midafternoon on May 16, hopefully more kings than sockeyes, said Rob Winfree, vice president of the popular seafood shop.

“If we get what we anticipate, we will have enough to cover half a dozen restaurants,” Winfree said.

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Alaska Air Cargo meanwhile was preparing for its annual rite of spring delivery of Copper River salmon to Seattle and points beyond early May 17.

Representatives of seafood processors Ocean Beauty, Trident and Copper River Seafoods were scheduled to be at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, along with 2018 Copper Chef cook-off winner Chris Bryant of WildFin American Grill when the Alaska Airlines Salmon Thirty Salmon flight landed with thousands of pounds of Copper River fish, according to Ann Johnson, spokesperson for Alaska Airlines.

No Copper Chef cook-off was planned on the tarmac this year, but the pilot would carry off the first fish to hand off to the executive chef, Johnson said.

Most purveyors of fresh wild caught seafood have not posted prices yet, but they were busy from Seattle to Anchorage and beyond taking orders for that opener harvest, and restaurants hoping to be serving that fish noted that diners at their establishments would surely be inquiring about the availability of Copper River entrees this weekend.

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