Lovers of fresh, wild salmon from Alaska won't find any at Costco or most markets

Costco Wholesale in Teterboro usually gets beautiful fillets of fresh, wild sockeye salmon from Alaska in the first days of June. This year, those shipments have been delayed. Above, Kirkland Signature frozen Alaskan Sockeye Salmon, which is available year-round, but doesn't compare in any way to the fresh fish.

Editor's note: The 2020 wild salmon season at Costco saw less sockeye available than 2019, which was far better than the 2018 season described here. As in 2019, when fresh sockeye salmon fillets were available from early June through early October, some previously frozen sockeye salmon has been available after that. The opening of the 2020 season in June was delayed and fresh fish often was available on only 1 day or 2 days a week. 

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

TETERBORO, N.J. -- Costco Wholesale's fresh seafood buyer said in 2018 that New Jersey members shouldn't expect to find any fresh, wild sockeye salmon until Father's Day weekend.

"It is rough," Lyle French said from Costco headquarters in Issaquah, Wash.

He noted the mouth of the famed Copper River, which supplies the first fillets of fresh, wild sockeye salmon sold in Costco warehouses on the East Coast, hasn't been open for fishing consistently.

On June 2, 2018, a newspaper is Kenai, Alaska, reported, "Several major river systems are seeing paltry returns [of Pacific salmon]."

"The poor numbers have led to closures and cutbacks to sport and commercial fisheries," according to the Peninsula Clarion.

In Alaska, the salmon-harvest season began on May 18, 2018.

Whole Foods Market

If you can't wait for fresh, wild salmon to arrive at Costco, head over to Whole Foods Market in Paramus, where you'll find the best seafood counter in North Jersey.

On Thursday afternoon, I saw a single fresh, wild Sockeye Salmon fillet ($39.99 a pound) and several pieces of fresh, wild King Salmon ($49.99 a pound), both from the Copper River.

The fishmonger explained the price is so high because it includes airfare that brings the wild salmon to the store the day after they are caught.

My trip wasn't a total loss: I picked up Organic Grapes for $2.49 a pound and Organic Fuji Apples for $1.99 a pound -- lower prices thanks to the Amazon takeover.

CONSOLATION PRIZE: At Costco on Thursday, I bought a fillet of fresh, wild Pacific Halibut ($17.99 a pound), which I prepared with organic spinach, pitted olives, Campari Tomatoes, capers, grated cheese, lemon juice and fresh herbs from my garden. See a how-to video on preparing another Fish & Vegetable Medley, below:

Teterboro Costco

On Thursday morning, the Costco warehouse in the Teterboro Landing shopping center off of Route 46 offered  artificially colored farmed Atlantic salmon raised with harmful antibiotics, some of it marked "kosher."

Other farmed salmon fillets from Norway were antibiotic-free, though still artificially colored. 

Instead, I purchased a fillet of fresh, wild-caught Pacific Halibut for dinner tonight ($17.99 a pound).

Last year, sockeye fillets from the Copper River arrived at the Teterboro Costco on June 5.

I grilled them on the stovetop, and served them with fresh herbs and a reduction of organic diced tomatoes.

See: 

From 2017: Fresh wild salmon lands
 at Teterboro Costco

BRAND NEW BAGS: Earthbound Farm has reverted to using plastic bags to package Organic Mixed Greens sold at Costco, but splits the pound of triple-washed salad between two 8-ounce bags ($4.79). The hard plastic clamshell, which held 1 pound and replaced a single plastic bag a few years ago, took up a lot of space in the refrigerator. The old name was "Organic Spring Mix."

INSTANT SAVINGS: I took advantage of instant savings on Season-brand Sardines in Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Twelve cans were $9.49 or about 79 cents a can. Six Glide Dental Floss dispensers were $8.99 after instant savings of $4.

ORGANIC PASTA: In Teterboro, I saw this variety pack of Garofalo Organic Penne and other pasta shapes, but not the Garofalo Organic Spaghetti sold at the Costco Business Center in Hackensack.

MUSICAL MELONS: Costco members thumped and slapped large watermelons like drums before finding one with a pleasing sound and placing them in their carts ($5.99 each). My strategy is to find the biggest and heaviest one.

Eating Out + Eating In: Tacos with sides, Costco's fresh fish case gets a little wilder

The Mahi-Mahi Tacos at Rosa Mexicano in Hackensack are stuffed with cabbage escabeche, grilled fish and a jalapeno-tartar sauce, and served with sides of cheesy corn salad, achiote rice and black beans. The name of the dish has been changed to Pescado a la Parilla.

-- HACKENSACK, N.J.

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

The appeal of hand-held food is universal, but I'm not about to promote the mystery meat in the vast majority of hot dogs and hamburgers.

In fact, my ideal is the Mexican-style fish taco, preferably made with a fresh, wild-caught fillet; chopped cilantro and onion; and a couple of spicy salsas to add between bites.

On Tuesday, I met my friend Arthur for lunch at Rosa Mexicano, the fine-dining restaurant in Hackensack where just about everything is made from scratch.

That includes scrumptious handmade corn tortillas formed, pressed and grilled in the beautiful dining room.

Fish tacos

Rosa Mexicano serves a deluxe version of the basic fish taco, Pescado de Mahi Mahi, three tacos stuffed with grilled white fish, white cabbage escabeche and jalapeno-tartar sauce ($15).

But that's not all. You also get three sides: A cheesy corn salad, achiote rice and black beans, all of which I took home.

The Baja-style tacos were delicious and filling, but next time, I'll ask the kitchen to make each taco with two corn tortillas instead of one.

And they are a better deal (and come without the side dishes) when ordered as part of the Chef's Lunch, two courses for $20 served Mondays to Fridays.

On the Chef's Lunch menu, look for Baja Fish Tacos, which are made with beer-battered and fried seasonal fish, though I imagine you can still get them with grilled fish.

The challenge most retirees face

My friend Arthur ordered the two-course lunch for $20, starting with a Mexican Passion Fruit Shrimp Cocktail (shrimp, avocado, tomato, onions, cucumber, cilantro and passion-fruit cocktail sauce), above. His second course was a large Ensalada de Waldorf, a Mexican take on an American classic (apples, seasonal fruit, raisins, candied pepitas, marinated chicken and crema agave dressing), and he took most of it home to finish at dinner.

A generous serving of complimentary corn chips and salsa were addictive.

Handmade corn tortillas are formed, pressed and grilled in the dining room, which is filled with Mexican pottery, textiles and sconces, below.

Part of the main dining room at Rosa Mexicano, which also has seating in a smaller dining room and in a large barroom.

  

Details

Rosa Mexicano, 390 Hackensack Ave., Hackensack (in the Shops at Riverside mall); 1-201-489-9100.

Website: Authentic flavors of Mexico

Fresh, wild Ocean Perch was only $5.49 a pound at Costco Wholesale in Teterboro this week. At home, I poured most of a 16-ounce jar of 365 Everyday Value Roasted Salsa Verde from Whole Foods Market into a pan; added sliced onion, garlic and lemon juice; and brought the mixture to a boil before adding the small skin-on fillets, and covering the pan. The fish poached in 5 minutes.

A pan of Costco's fresh wild Monk Fish prepared with fresh spinach, tomatoes, pitted black olives, capers, grated cheese, fresh herbs and fresh lemon juice. When cooked (20 minutes in a preheated 400-degree oven), monk fish puffs up and has the texture of lobster.

At Costco, a wilder fish case

In May, Costco Wholesale members in Teterboro were surprised and delighted to find fresh wild Monk Fish fillets in a refrigerated case that usually contains only wild cod, haddock and flounder.

This week, instead of Monk Fish, my wife found shrink-wrapped trays of fresh wild Ocean Perch, also called Red Fish.

And it looks like the Ocean Perch and Monk Fish are the consolation prizes as this year's fresh wild Alaskan salmon season is getting off to a rough start, just as it did last year.

Sockeye Salmon from Alaska's Copper River usually shows up in Costco warehouses in late May or early June, but the catch is far below last season's.

Lyle French, the fresh-seafood buyer at Costco headquarters in Issaquah, Wash., said he was able to send some Copper River sockeye fillets to warehouses on the West Coast and in Virginia.

He couldn't predict when fresh wild sockeye salmon will arrive in New Jersey.

On Costco's Facebook page today, one member in Michigan posted a video of fresh wild sockeye salmon from the Copper River that was selling for $16.99 a pound.

The season opened on May 18 at the Copper River.

Copper River salmon sales are hot

More bad news for Alaska salmon

Costco celebrates the Copper River

Details

Costco Wholesale, 2 Teterboro Landing Drive, Teterboro (in the shopping center off of Route 46); 1-201-596-2001. 

Website: Teterboro Warehouse