Local advantages

[Jenise]

Bought a whole king salmon yesterday for $5.50 a pound--gutted and fileted, so what I took home was two whole sides, skin on, but wow the price. Prepared two small pieces for our dinner and brined the rest overnight. Will smoke this afternoon.

[Robin Garr]

<jealous>

[Jenise]

Well, I'm jealous of your fish monger and access to all kinds of great fish from both coasts. But if I have to be stuck with just two options, salmon and halibut, then I'm lucky to get both cheaper than most of you can.

Well, I'm jealous of your fish monger and access to all kinds of great fish from both coasts. But if I have to be stuck with just two options, salmon and halibut, then I'm lucky to get both cheaper than most of you can.

So what is the price of Alaskan halibut out there? I suppose though that you get them alive right out of the water so don't know the price. Seabear http://www.seabear.com/catalog/Product/ ... llets.aspx will sell me 6oz of halibut and 6oz of sockeye for $44.99 plus shipping. It's no wonder I don't eat either more often.

wow the price

Jumpin' Jehosaphat!

[Jenise]

Well, I'm jealous of your fish monger and access to all kinds of great fish from both coasts. But if I have to be stuck with just two options, salmon and halibut, then I'm lucky to get both cheaper than most of you can.

So what is the price of Alaskan halibut out there? I suppose though that you get them alive right out of the water so don't know the price. Seabear http://www.seabear.com/catalog/Product/ ... llets.aspx will sell me 6oz of halibut and 6oz of sockeye for $44.99 plus shipping. It's no wonder I don't eat either more often.

There is local halibut, though not so much these days (sad look) as long ago. And because it's a deepwater fish the cost of procuring them is higher. Halibut's been running around $13 here, even at Barleans (my fish barn out in the country). But hey, Barleans will ship. My area's a bit of a resort town and Barleans is always full of tourists (how do they even find it?) sending salmon home--they know how to do it. The shipping gets pricy but I'm sure they can beat $44 for 12 ounces of fish.

...brined the rest overnight. Will smoke this afternoon.

Do you always have a cigarette after brining all night?

[Robin Garr]

Halibut's been running around $13 here, even at Barleans (my fish barn out in the country).

That's pretty darn good. Here's current pricing at Highland Fish, one of the quality fish merchants in Louisville ... it's out in suburban Middletown, which puts it about 10 miles closer to Bob.

The "internet special" is a bit more than you pay, but when you consider that they have to get it inland and move it fast while it's still suitably fresh does justify a few bucks more.

Fresh Wild Alaskan Halibut Fillet
Reg. $19.99 lb
NOW IN SEASON!!!!
(Internet Special $17.99 lb)
Very Limited Supply

Also $19.99 at Seafood Connection.

Kingsley Market has halibut steaks for $15.98/pound, flash-frozen, but I don't find freezing is too rough on halibut.

Robin's prices got me interested in looking locally (we do have a fairly good fish market locally) So I checked in with them. They gt deliveries 4-5 times weekly and they have a couple pounds of wild Alaskan halibut in stock. Today's price was quoted as $17.99 lb and to tax on food items. I would think that minimal processing of halibut while cooking would be the way to go given the delicate flavor of the fish. So I was thinking maybe just a bit of lemon pepper and steam or poach the fillet might be tasty.

Anyone who has a favorite recipe for halibut, I would be interested in reading it. Thanks all.

[Jenise]

Kingsley Market has halibut steaks for $15.98/pound, flash-frozen, but I don't find freezing is too rough on halibut.

That's because most supposedly fresh halibut at normal retail has been out of the water long enough to have lost both flavor and texture enough that what you're used to calling fresh halibut is not all that dissimilar from frozen. Truly fresh-fresh just-caught halibut is another thing entirely. The flavor is unbelievably sweet and the texture, well, it's not flakey--a fork glides through it like pound cake. All of which it loses in the extra two days it takes to get the fish to market in the lower 48. Sadly. Before I lived in Alaska, I found frozen halibut acceptable. Now? I don't find ANY frozen fish acceptable, with the exception of smoked.

Bob, I usually grill halibut with greek/italian spices, but I once had it in an orange-basil cream sauce that impressed me enough to recreate it at home. Doesn't take much orange (fresh squeezed juice) or basil and the flavors compliment nicely.

Bob, I usually grill halibut with greek/italian spices, but I once had it in an orange-basil cream sauce that impressed me enough to recreate it at home. Doesn't take much orange (fresh squeezed juice) or basil and the flavors compliment nicely.

Thanks for the info Doug. Now, if only halibut swam in "Lake Lexington"