WHAT'S FRESH BLOG

by Jamie Meade [ Email ]

March 2008

Halibut is just around the corner, so here is a little update. The season opens this Saturday, March 8th. If the weather is good, we should be able to see fresh Halibut for dinner service on Monday or lunch on Tuesday at all 3 locations. If the weather is not good, it could be a few days later.

Our first catch will most likely be from the Yakutat area in Alaska. I’ve been watching the weather up there and so far it looks promising. The fisherman will go out in the cold, rain and snow without a problem. It is the wind that gets things off track. So far, no storm fronts are projected to roll in through the weekend – obviously, the weather can change quickly up there, so I will continue to watch and keep you posted.

“Just for the Halibut” Facts
Prized for its delicate sweet flavor, and healthy attributes, Halibut is commonly among the favorites of many seafood lovers. Not only is its tender, flaky yet firm, white meat delicious, but also it is a great source of protein and minerals, it is also very low in fat and calories. Another favorite to seafood lovers are the Halibut Cheeks. They are exactly what they sound like – the cheeks of the Halibut. They are located at the back of the head, and are sweet, with a consistency similar to a Scallop. They are delicious!
Most of us are quite familiar with Halibut once it hits the plate, but what is it like before we get it? Where does it come from? Well, let me tell you…

To start off, there are different species of Halibut. Some are from the Northern Pacific Ocean, some are from the Northern Atlantic Ocean, but what we serve here are from the beautiful clear and cold waters of the North Pacific Ocean in Alaska.

The word Halibut is derived from the Scandinavian word, “Halliflundra,” which means “a fish that can be found in deep holes.” Halibut are a deep-water, bottom-feeding flat fish that prefer water temperatures between 35 and 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Most are caught between 60 and 400 feet, but at times they can be found up to 3,600 feet deep!

Older Halibut look like an overgrown Flounder on steroids – they are colored in such a way that they can easily disguise themselves from both predators and prey. The top of a Halibut has colors that resemble the ocean floor, and the belly is white. So when looking down on them, they blend in with the bottom, and when looking up at them, they blend in with the sky above. Halibut spawn in the winter months, and the females, depending on size, can produce up to 4 million eggs! When a Halibut is born, its eyes are on either side of its body and it swims like a Salmon, but as it matures, one eye migrates to the same side of the head as the other and they begin to swim flat with both eyes on top for the duration of their life. The lifespan of a Halibut is incredible. As long as we don’t catch it and enjoy its tastiness, a Halibut can live for over 40 years! The female Halibut have a tendency to grow faster and live longer than males.

There is no doubt that Halibut are strong swimmers, during the longest migration ever recorded, a Halibut was tagged near the Aleutian Islands and captured 2,500 miles away in Coos Bay, Oregon.

Halibut are one of the strongest fish in the sea, in fact; most Halibut require gun shot(s) to kill them. (Always do this before you get it in the boat, of course). Your classic smack on the head with a fish bonker won’t get you anywhere with these beasts. In the North Pacific Ocean, Halibut are among the top of the marine food chain with its only common predators being Sea Lions, Orca Whales and Salmon Sharks. According to most marine biologists, a Halibut will eat almost anything that it can fit in its mouth¬ – animals found in the stomachs of larger Halibut have included Octopus, Crab, Salmon, Cod, Pollock, Herring, Fisherman (just kidding) and even smaller Halibut.

Everyone has their “biggest fish” story, and Halibut is no exception. There are many different stories about the biggest halibut ever recorded, the most common that I was able to find was a 459 pounder caught in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Although I was able to find a few stories of other monsters sizing from 533 all the way up to 726 pounds!! It’s hard to tell what the official largest Halibut ever recorded is, but either way, it’s huge! These are Halibut caught for sport. When you see halibut in a restaurant or grocery store, it is typically going to be from a smaller Halibut from the 10-60 pound range. Smaller Halibut are much sweeter and juicier than the larger, older ones that roam the ocean floors.

(The photo is of Salty’s owner Gerry Kingen fishing with his dad Bob. Yes, that’s one large halibut!)

February 2008

Happy Valentines Month Everyone!

This year we are doing something a little different for Valentines Day… we are turning it into weeks of love, instead of just one day! All of our Chefs will be featuring delicious options no matter what Salty’s location you visit. Along with our chefs tantalizing creations, all three of our locations will be offering a “Crab Lovers Feast.” If you love crab; trust me… you can’t miss out on this! Three incredible courses packed with Dungeness crab, prepared in ways that will make your mouth water for more!

If you are not from around the Pacific Northwest, you may not know what a “Dungeness Crab” is. They are named after Dungeness, Washington, a small town just outside of Port Angeles, home of the Dungeness crab and Seafood Festival, held every October. Even the local golf course in Dungeness has a giant sand trap shaped like a crab!

Dungeness are indigenous to the Pacific Northwest, inhabiting the Aleutian Islands in Alaska down to Santa Cruz, California, but most common harvested off the coast of Washington and Oregon. Although, they can be harvested year round, Dungeness crab are much more easily caught between the months of November and February. During these colder months, the Dungeness start to huddle up and form large bio-masses, which from what I’ve been told, is thought to help them weather the winter storms and stay closer to shore to find more sheltered areas. With there being so many crabs all in one area, dropping a pot down during these months is usually easy catching, so long as the fisheries can find the large masses to drop down on. Once the end of January and early February approaches, the Dungeness start to spread from their bio-masses making crabbing more difficult to pull mass quantities up on each pull. This time of year, strong winds will often pick up off the coast and make it difficult for boats to get out as often as they would like, sometimes making supplies a little difficult to come by. But, here at Salty’s, our suppliers know how important it is for us to get first dibs on the freshest product available! Most of the live Crab that we get here this time of year is caught locally off the shore up to 5 miles off the coast of Washington in areas such as Northern Puget Sound, Westport and Destruction Island.

These tasty crustaceans are known for their delicate and sweeter flavor than most species of crab. Here in the Northwest, we are privileged to have such a delicacy roaming our nearby ocean floors. If you’ve never had the chance to try Dungeness crab, you are missing out on one of Mother Nature’s most tasty gifts! So come on in and enjoy or Crab Lover’s Feast and see what all the fuss is about!

Another big hit this time of year is Oysters! Often said to be a natural aphrodisiac, Oysters are very commonly consumed by seafood lovers around Valentines Day to get even more “in the mood”. Oysters are rich in Zinc… one of the minerals that are required for the production of testosterone. Research has also shown that Oysters contain rare amino acids that trigger increased levels of sex hormones. Some people don’t agree with this theory, but I recommend you come in and be the judge of that! During February, we will be offering a rotating array of different species of locally harvested Oysters including Penn Cove Select, Snow Creek, Kumamoto, Kusshi, Quilcene, Fanny Bay Petite, Effingham, Evening Cove and more!

Here is a fun fact… In 2007 Salty’s restaurants combined, served over 230,000 oysters on the half shell! Obviously, there is something to be said about just how much people love these little guys. The term “The World is Your Oyster” is used for good reason… come on in and suck back a few of these delectable treats!

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