When your salmon-catching methods produce fish so high-quality and delicious that renowned chef and TV personality Julia Child takes notice, you know you have a fresh idea on your hands. Or better than fresh in this case. Wait…what? Frozen fish that’s better than fresh?
Yes, it IS possible and the key is deep-freezing the salmon right after the catch. Lifelong fisherman and Bainbridge Island native Bruce Gore – our friend and partner since 1978 – developed his “frozen at sea” technique to preserve fresh-caught Alaskan salmon at peak freshness, which means tender, delicious, high-quality salmon any time of year, even outside of traditional “salmon season.”
Triad Fisheries, Bruce Gore’s company, slow-catches each fish by hook and line, humanely stuns them in the water and then carefully processes them stress-free without any bruising.
Ninety minutes later or less, they’re flash-frozen right on the boat to at least -30˚F and hand-dipped in seawater, forming a protective ice-glaze that keeps dehydration at bay. It’s the freshest-tasting fish you can buy, perfectly preserved until you’re ready to eat. Pretty cool, right?
That’s why many people, including Town & Country Market’s most experienced fishmongers, believe Bruce Gore actually tastes better than fresh-caught. And Ms. Child agrees. “It’s in beautiful shape,” she praised while preparing a Bruce Gore coho salmon for her TV audience. “Bruce Gore salmon is an example of how a fish should be treated. If we could all get a fish as carefully treated as this we would all be well off.” ‘Nuff said.
A Legacy Nearly Half a Century in the Making
Bruce’s methods also stress stringent onboard sanitation and zero chemical additives. A tracking number is assigned to each fish for 100% traceability – resulting in an unmatched level of safety and year-round consistency.
We’re proud that our relationship with Bruce Gore and Triad Fisheries goes back nearly 45 years. We’ve seen Triad grow from a one ship operation to a fleet of nearly two dozen. Seattle Magazine featured the company in its annual list of the top 50 most powerful players in the local food scene. Bruce eventually settled into a well-earned retirement in 2008, but Triad remains an industry leader, delivering award-winning troll-caught wild Alaskan salmon and upholding the sterling reputation of its founder.
“From hook to table, we remain committed to the strict quality and sustainability standards first introduced by Bruce Gore,” says Mark Tupper, current president of Triad Fisheries. "The result is a premium salmon sought worldwide for its consistent quality, lustrous appearance, firm flesh, and impeccably clean taste."
We are pleased to offer Bruce Gore’s coho, king, and pink salmon from southeast Alaska. It’s the home of the highest-quality, best-eating natural salmon in the world. As Bruce once said, as long as we respect that fact and treat the fish with respect, “the fish will come to the customer like a gift from God”