The Halibut fishing season finished Nov 15th after starting in March. Homer Alaska is once again America’s number one halibut port with more than 12 million pounds crossing its docks this season, with Kodiak coming in second. The total catch this year was 42 million pounds.
More demand this year from the retail sector as more and more folks are opting to eat halibut at home instead of in expensive restaurants.
Salmon
Alaskan fishermen delivered 162 million wild salmon this year, this is the 11th biggest catch since Alaska got its Statehood, worth an estimated $370 million.
Fresh halibut fillets, marinated and then glazed with a sweet and salty melon flavored sauce. Other firm white fish can also be used. Halibut is low in fat and calories but is an excellent source of good quality protein. It is considered a lean fish and does contain some heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. A 6 oz. halibut fillet is also chock-full of vitamins and minerals like calcium, iron, zinc, thiamin, riboflavin, folate and vitamin A.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Midori (melon liqueur)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
8 halibut filets
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup low sodium vegetable stock
Honeydew melon slices, for garnish
Cantaloupe Salsa:
1 1/2 cups cantaloupe, diced
1/2 cup strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup sweet red onion, diced
1 green onion, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, minced
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine Midori, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic in a small mixing bowl and mix well to combine.
Season halibut with salt and pepper and then place halibut in a large zip lock plastic bag and pour 1/2 of the marinade over halibut.
Seal bag and let marinate for 30 minutes. Add remaining marinade and stock to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce to a glaze consistency.
Place about 1/3 of glaze in a separate bowl and reserve. Remove halibut from marinade and generously brush with glaze.
Place halibut on a baking sheet lined with foil. Generously brush with glaze from saucepan and place in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Turn fish over and generously brush with glaze. Bake until desired doneness.
Place halibut fillets on plates, drizzle with a little glaze, garnish with honeydew melon slices and a big scoop of the cantaloupe salsa.
Serve with brown rice and vegetables.
This Recipe has been kindly provided by Amanda of Nourish, she’s a dietitian and great cook based in British Columbia, Canada for more great recipes go to http://dosesofnourishment.blogspot.com/
This is possibly the simplest fish dish I’ve ever prepared, but my husband used the word “outstanding” not once, but twice during the meal, so something must have gone very right. This was a last-minute inspiration based on desire to balance our love for the tangy zing of Thai chili sauce with the delicate taste of halibut, all the while keeping preparation to a minimum and moisture in the fish to a max.
lime juice (I keep a bottle of it on hand; I use it in great quantities and love adding it to soda water for spritzers alongside meals like this one)
Thai sweet chili sauce
cayenne pepper
salt
olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 375. Rinse the fish and dust it with salt. Place the fillet in a glass baking dish and drizzle a tiny amount of olive oil over the top, then roll it in the pan a few times to coat.
2. In a small bowl, combine the mayo and chili sauce and beat with a fork. The result should be pink. Add lime juice and stir until the sauce becomes the consistency of salad dressing. Season liberally with cayenne and a little salt. Taste and adjust lime and chili sauce to taste.
3. Spoon the sauce over the fish and turn the fillet so that it is coated on all sides. Heap extra sauce on top, reserving some in the bowl.
4. Bake at 375 until the halibut is opaque through and flakes easily. Add more sauce to the top halfway through the process, to replace any that has melted down the sides. The sauce should form a soft golden crust by the time the fish is cooked through.
5. Serve with lime wedges and rice. Save any pan drippings to drizzle over the rice on the side. Outstanding!
As the weather gets warmer, start thinking about spending some more time outside. It’s almost picnic season! Gather a few friends and pack up an elegant lunch to share - think about bringing sturdy fruits, like tart apples and sweet pears; small pieces of dark chocolate, carrot sticks, and something fizzy to drink are all excellent, along with a selection of hard and soft cheeses, a variety of breads or rolls, and a few savory spreads.
This is a simple, healthful, and delicious way to make halibut a portable and elegant addition to any picnic - serve it as sandwiches, or try wrapping it washed butter lettuce leaves for a low-carb alternative. The flavors work beautifully with salmon, as well - try it as a use for leftovers.
1. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the halibut until browned, then set it aside to cool. Once it can be handled, flake the meat into a bowl with a fork - don’t mash the fish, just pull it into large flakes; it should be tender enough to separate easily.
2. In another bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, celery, scallions and dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Carefully fold in the halibut until all ingredients are well combined. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Chill before packing it for a picnic.
Still basking in a warm glow from Valentine’s Day? If you’d like to recreate some of that candlelit magic at home, here are 5 of our favorite seafood dishes for two. Whether you want a quick appetizer before heading out on the town, or an elaborate preparation to show someone how much you care, here are some tasty suggestions:
This is an interesting halibut recipe that delights both the taste buds and the eyes. The creative use of both citrus and pistachios complement the delicate flavor of the fish and make for a complex mixture of textures and colors.
This salmon dish is as simple as the halibut dish is involved. The glaze adds a bright tang to the richness of the fish, and it can be prepared in less than half an hour, leaving you with plenty of time to change clothes and light the candles. Try substituting an outdoor grill for the broiler for a romantic picnic in warm weather.
Risottos are sensuous, creamy, and rich - perfect for sharing with a loved one. Try serving both portions on one large dish and sitting close together; it’s the grown-up version of an ice cream float with two straws. This preparation pairs lobster with brandy and chevre for an elegant meal.
Forget the mushy, waterlogged shrimp you get at buffets or parties: thawed, prepeeled, and tasteless. Real shrimp cocktail uses prawns that you cook yourself. It only takes a few minutes, and the result is a gorgeous appetizer for two - eaten with the fingers, of course - yours or theirs.
This is my favorite at-home romantic seafood recipe of the moment: the bright flavors and gorgeous presentation pair nicely with a bottle of wine and are sure to spark conversation of travel or holidays abroad. Plus, tuna is a versatile and forgiving seafood for cooks who are nervous about cooking fish, and is hearty enough to please the most dedicated red meat eater.
Feel free to post links to your own favorite romantic seafood recipes; we’d love to hear them!
2009 is the year of the Ox, according to the traditional Chinese zodiac, a calendar made up of 12-year cycles. People born in the year of the Ox are considered stubborn, loyal, patient, and capable of inspiring great confidence in others. They are also known for having considerable mental and physical stamina, and often make great leaders. President Barack Obama was born in the year of the Ox, as were Richard Nixon, Walt Disney, Charlie Chaplin, George Clooney, and Napoleon Bonaparte. If you were born in any of the following years, you are an Ox, too!
New Year’s celebrations, or Spring Festivals, as they’re known in Chinese, vary from region to region throughout China and the Chinese diaspora. Common elements include fireworks, feasting, and the color red. Some traditional foods include jiaozi (dumplings) and melon seeds, along with a number of fish dishes, often consumed on New Year’s Eve. The word for “fish” in Chinese is yú (鱼), and is a homonym for “surplus” - these kinds of similar-sounding words are considered auspicious in Chinese culture, and so fish is symbolic of plenitude and a successful harvest for the coming year.
This is a tasty version of a traditional Chinese fish dish.
1. Soak the fillets in salt water for half an hour. While they are marinating, move on to step 2.
2. Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water and set aside. Prep the vegetables, and combine them in a small bowl; set aside. Combine the garlic and ginger in a small bowl; set aside. Mix together the rice wine, broth, oyster sauce, salt, sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar; whisk until well blended, and set aside.
3. Drain and rinse the fish, and pat the fillets dry with paper towels. Dip each in beaten egg and then dredge in cornstarch until they are evenly coated. Fry in hot peanut oil until they are golden brown; remove with a slotted spoon, drain briefly, then transfer to a serving dish. Keep warm.
4. Remove the dried mushrooms from the bowl and squeeze out any excess liquid. Trim and discard the stems, and then slice into think strips and add to the bowl of vegetables.
5. Heat a few tablespoons of peanut oil in a wok, swirling it around to coat the sides of the pan. Fry the ginger/garlic mixture until it starts to turn golden, and add the rest of the vegetables, stirring quickly. Saute for a few minutes, then add the liquid mixture. Allow it to come to a simmer, then whisk in the water/cornstarch combination. Bring the whole lot to a boil, and test the vegetables for doneness.
6. Season liberally with sesame oil and white pepper, then pour the vegetable sauce over the fish. Serve immediately.
This is a hearty, earthy dish excellent for cold winter nights and for high-protein, low-fat diets (this preparation gets fewer than 24% of its calories from fat). Any thick fillet of white fish will work - try cod, rockfish, or sea bass - but halibut is perfect as it absorbs flavors from the sauce and isn’t too oily. Serve this for guests or family with a sliced, warm baguette and a simple green salad with a bite: add arugula, radicchio, and shaved pecorino romano cheese and dress with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and herbs.
1. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a deep, heavy skillet. Saute the garlic and onions until translucent, then add the tomatoes and cook until the skins come off and a sauce forms in the pan.
2. Add the broth, wine, beans, and spices (except the cayenne) to taste. The beans will absorb a good amount of the seasonings, so be generous - especially with the cumin and pepper. Leave the bay leaf in the sauce to simmer.
3. Heat a small amount of oil in another skillet. Rinse the fish under cold running water, and dust with salt and pepper on both sides. Sear the fish one or two fillets at a time, then cook for about 5 minutes on both sides, or until it flakes easily with a fork at the densest point. Sprinkle with cayenne and lemon juice and transfer to a warm oven.
4. When the sauce is cooked down and thickened, remove the bay leaf and ladle the sauce into wide soup plates or shallow bowls. Serve the fish over the sauce, and garnish with lemon wedges.
![[del.icio.us]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
![[Digg]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/digg.png)
![[Facebook]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[Google]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/google.png)
![[MySpace]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/myspace.png)
![[Newsvine]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/newsvine.png)
![[StumbleUpon]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/stumbleupon.png)
![[Twitter]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png)
![[Yahoo!]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/yahoo.png)
![[Email]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/email.png)
