Nova Scotia Halibut

The sultry days of summer sweep across the city and suddenly anyone who isn't condemned to sweating their culito off behind the line 24-7 makes a mad-dash to the beach.
What does this scarcity of diners mean for those of you holding it down the in kitchen? Epic brainstorms regarding menu items that will lure in summer customers. What you need is a real crowd pleaser, for example, Nova Scotia Halibut. Not only does EVERYONE AND THEIR MOTHER love this fish, but it is majorly abundant this time of year.


Halibut HALIBUT, do you have hAlibUt ? You know what I love? HALIBUT!

 Yea, guess what? I KNOW YOU LOVE HALIBUT. How about you shut up and eat the fluke? You wouldn't know the difference if I spelled it out across your plate in ketchup...:)

Here is a little Halibut History to get you PUMPED UP about cooking it all summer long:

Halibut wasn't always considered a delicacy. Halibut, like many other species of fin fish (skate and monk, for example) used to be known as a gross and lame junk fish, fit only for animals to eat! Hard to imagine now that we live in a world where people would surrender the monetary equivalent of their  first born to get their hands on its firm white flesh.
Halibizzles are homebodys, they don't migrate far from their origins. One curious and ambitious halibut once travelled 2,500 miles away from their home turf, but that was the farthest any lone halibut has dared to venture. Most choose to stay within the 1,000 mile range.
Certain research studies point to the Magdalen Shallows as a preferred area for Halibut reproduction. BOW CHICA BOW WOW (barf)!

Northwest of Nova Scotia, on the Eastern Seaboard of Canada: Magdalen Shallows, Breeding Ground for the Halibut

When these disgusting little halibut larvaes hatch, they swim belly down and their eyes are on both sides of their head. As they grow bigger and flatter the left eye migrates to the right side, along with all of the pigmentation in their bodies. This is the halibut we know and love to eat.
Halibut have an incredibly powerful concave tail with which they have been known to slap fishermen right in the grill, even after being gaffed. In some instances these ferocious blows can be life threatening. Fishermen are wary of these types of tussles, so they usually take a club to the poor old doober before hauling it aboard.

Read here about how Sarah Palin likes to club her Halibuts (Alaskan, that is) "right between the eyes" HEEEEYUCK!

 http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/sarah-palin-clubbing-the-halibut

Atlantic Halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus)

Atlantic Halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus)

How do you feel about cooking up a 15-40# sea animal that is flat as a pancake, has a reputation for being delicious, and has a migrating eye? Great? Great! Halibut has an 80% meat yield. This is helpful to keep in mind when the thought of food costs makes your blood pressure skyrocket to a level where your eyes bulge and the top of your head sizzles like a New York sidewalk in July.

I recommend labeling the Halibut on your menu under its scientific name. The front of house will not be able to pronounce Hippoglossus hippoglossus when they are reading the specials and it will be hilarious. Then you can make fun of them from the safety of your station behind the grill.

March is the beginning of Halibut season and we have the east coasters from Nova Scotia here in our warehouse. Soon to debut are the west coasters. Keep your eyes peeled for them this spring.

Alaskan King Crab Legs and Halibut 2/08/11

LOVE is in the AIR at your restaurant.

Queue up the Barry White. On Monday night your restaurant is going to get crushed by hoards of crazed couples peering into each other's beady eyes like zombies from across their platters of linguini. Don't they know that in this day and age love is obsolete? Don't be the one to burst their bubble. Just feed them some delicious ocean treats and leave them to their own devices.



 +

= TRUE LOVE

On that note, what says "I love you" better than a big case of CRABS!!

Frozen Alaskan King Crab Legs, when thawed out and cooked to perfection are a surefire aphrodisiac. You want to get your tables to turn over on V-day? One bite of those long, luxurious crab legs and even the most notorious loiterers will be ready for dessert and the check, WINK WINK.



King of the Jungle



There are about 3# of legs per "cluster" meaning one side of the crab's body. Alaskan king crab fishing entails going out in a boat towards the Aleutian Islands in the dead of winter. Sound like fun? An Alaskan king crab fisherman is more than 100 times more likely to die on the job than you are. Although the fishermen may be going extinct, the crabs are not. Alaskan King Crab stocks are healthy and are not being overfished, according to NOAA.

Signs of the Season: Bi-Coastal Halibut
We are seeing some East Coast Halibut trickle into the warehouse, now that the days are getting longer and brighter. Its westerly brethren will be saddling up in our cooler pretty soon as well, so: Yee Haw Cowboy! Wrangle in a wild halibut and say goodbye to all of your sorrows.
Oh yeah, and by the way...

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY YA' SAPS!!!!!

HUBBA HUBBA