Whole Foods Weekly Pick: Alaskan Halibut

Tired of always buying the same items at the grocery store? Sometimes Patch is too. So, we've teamed up with the  in Deerfield for the month of June. Each Sunday, an employee will highlight a speciality item at the grocery story and fill you in on what's so good about it. This week we're sitting down with Arthur Kanzler in the seafood department and talking about Alaskan halibut. 

Patch: Tell me a little bit about this item.

Arthur: This is fresh, never frozen, MSC certified sustainable, Alaskan halibut. Our halibut  differs from what you may get at other grocery stores and restaurants in many ways. First, Our halibut is MSC certified sustainable. The MSC is the largest third party certification organization that inspects and certifies fisheries as sustainable. Secondly, our halibut is fresh. It has never been frozen in its life. Third, our halibut arrives to our stores much faster than the traditional means of transporting fish.

Our fish are caught from day boats. The boat goes out for one day and then comes back to port. The fish are not caught and kept on ice for days or weeks at a time like other halibuts on the market are. In one day our halibut is caught, brought back to port, and on its way to us here in Deerfield. Our halibut flies in on an airplane and arrives here just hours after it is caught. Other stores may be getting halibut that was shipped in via rail or truck, which can add days to the amount of time it takes to get to the store. So where our halibut was swimming just 48 hours before you see it in our case, other stores may have halibut that was swimming days or even weeks before it arrives in the store.

Patch: Why is it in season? 

Arthur: Fresh halibut season just started in Alaska. Due to the fact that Alaska has 6 months of dark and 6 months of light, the fishing season is very limited to the months of light. At this time of year the fish are starting to spawn and reproduce so the supply available for catch is at its peak.

Patch: Why do you like Alaskan halibut?

Arthur: Halibut is a fish that is light in flavor and has a buttery richness to it without being oily or fatty. The fish is firm in flesh so it can be prepared in a variety of ways.

Patch: How would you recommend preparing it?

Arthur: There are thousands of different things that can be done with halibut. However when you chose to prepare the halibut remember not to over season it as the flavor will be overpowered. With a fish as fresh as this, and a quality second to none, the fish really only needs some salt and pepper  to bring out the best flavor. Whether on the grill, broiled, sautéed, poached, baked, or steamed the halibut is a treat to enjoy while in season.