Costco Connection - February 2011

in

and hand-trimmed. A deep skin-
ning is required (with the exception
of the Kirkland Signature wild
Alaskan sockeye) to remove excess fat
or dark meat. Each variety is cut into
similar, dinner-size boneless portions.
Finished fillets are blast-frozen,
individually vacuum sealed, packed in
reusable freezer storage bags and kept
below zero degrees Fahrenheit. Many
are kosher certified.

z a e ne e

Kirkland Signature Wild
Alaskan Sockeye Salmon

COSTCO’S WILD Alaskan sockeye, with its deep ruby red flesh, is harvested by day-boat fishers along Alaska’s coastal waters.

(3-pound bag)

: Appreciate the fish; keep preparation simple.

Finish with a squeeze of lemon or parsley butter.

PREP TIP

IRIDIO PHOTOGRAPH Y

Quality catch

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Scott shares, “Our suppliers know what
we will and, more importantly, will not
accept in fish. Nothing is left to chance.”
The Costco frozen-fish team personally
inspects each supplier’s methods, which can
occur out at sea, on the docks or inside pro-
cessing facilities. Independent third-party
food safety and social audits are required.

T A

occur out at sea, on the docks or inside pro-s ed s

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t i c i f s h n e .

Questionable cost-cutting options are not allowed. This includes such practices as selling twice-frozen fish that have been shipped frozen from Alaska to China, then thawed, processed into portions, refrozen and shipped back to the U.S.—sans flavor.

o we will and, more importantly, will not

KirklandSignatureWild
AlaskanCod

COSTCOCHOOSESquota-restricted Alaskancod.Eachbagcontainsmoist, slightlysweetcenter-cutloinportions.

(2-poundbag)

ScottO’Brienshares,“Frankly,we didn’texpectsuchstrongsales,butthe demandhasbeenswiftandunrelenting.

It’sanaffordablewild-caughtaddition.”

:Codisflakierthanother fishandbroilssuperbly.

PREPTIP

Putting a line out Trolling Costco’s frozen-fish buying department leads me to catch up with Scott O’Brien, Costco’s frozen-fish buyer.

I learn Costco’s private-label frozen-fish program is leagues above many other brands.

The fish must be fresh and top grade. To ensure optimal freshness, they are maintained at a temperature of less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit prior to freezing.

Once cleaned, each fillet is hand-selected

Kirkland Signature
Wild Alaskan
Halibut
(2-pound bag)

COSTCO CHOOSES quota-restricted Pacific Alaskan halibut. This is why you’ll not find this delicately flavored, finely textured white fish in all warehouses.

Costco halibut is long line caught, employing a relatively large hook that reduces the unwanted capture of smaller fish and does not damage ocean habitats.

PREP TIP: I prefer to let this fish speak. Lightly grill with minimal seasoning. Halibut is firm—perfect for grilling or pan roasting.

Fishing with a conscience

so v

Costco’s ultimate goal is to provide a consistent supply of quality seafood in a responsible fashion.

This is why Costco no longer sells seven wild species of fish that are nearly universally identified as at great risk: Chilean sea bass, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, bluefin tuna, Atlantic halibut and Atlantic cod.

Sales will not resume unless sources are certified as sustainable by the Marine

Stewardship Council—a leading certification and eco-labeling program for sustainable seafood—or a comparable, reputable certifier that assesses the fishery is no longer overfished. (You can see Costco’s official sustainability statement by visiting Costco.com, entering “investor relations” in the Search box, then clicking on “corporate governance,” then on “seafood and sustainability.”)

IRIDIO PHOTOGRAPH Y

Once again I’m sold on Costco—hook, line and sinker. C

Kirkland Signature Wild Mahi~Mahi
(3-pound bag)

MAHI-MAHI IS a migratory fish, following the
warm-water currents of South America. Costco
goes where the fish are feeding, and uses only
the artisanal fishing fleets to harvest Kirkland
Low in calories, with no carbs and high in
protein, this Costco offering is a deep-sea treasure.

: Top with a dollop of spicy tropical fruit salsa after cooking.

PREP TIP

More in archives
On Costco.com, enter
“Connection.” At Online Edition,
search “buyingsmart.” For recipes,
search “cookbook.”

New! Kirkland Signature
Farm-Raised Steelhead Trout
(3-pound bag)

STEELHEAD TROUT are rainbow trout that spend part of their life at sea like salmon.

I tried to compare this Costco offering, harvested in ocean net pens in Chile, to others, but Costco is the only one I know that carries these gorgeous pink-fleshed and mild-tasting trout.

PREP TIP: A light kosher salt brine flavor enhancer is added to this product, as well as to the Kirkland Signature farmed Atlantic salmon. Use additional salt sparingly.

Kirkland Signature
Farm-Raised Tilapia Loins
( 2.5-pound bag)

ABOUT 80 PERCENT of the frozen tilapia in the U.S. is now imported from China. One reason Costco chooses to source its tilapia from Indonesia and Honduras is that it can better monitor clean water sources, ensuring pure white fish with a sweet flavor.

This is why it comes as no surprise to Scott O’Brien, Costco’s frozen-fish buyer, that Regal Springs Tilapia, one of Costco’s primary tilapia suppliers and the largest independent tilapia aquafarmer in the world, is the first to have one of its aquafarms pass a new, rigorous audit needed for full-sustainability certification.

Costco is also the first and continues to be the only retailer I know to specify tilapia loins. Each weighs 5 to 6 ounces, and is considered the “premium cut” from the fillet.