Giant Halibuts and the Dark Life they LEAD!

All goodness happens at the PEI Farmer's Market on Saturdays! I ran into Mickey Rose of MR Seafood while buying vegetables a few Saturdays ago. Mickey told me that he had a 168 pound halibut and it was looking for a good home. At first I thought "Damn, that's a big fish! Too much for me to use before it's freshness was a thing passe. Impossible! But I have to admit, that big ole halibut stayed in my mind.

By the time I got to work I started schemeing on how to fit it into our budget. I told my Sous Chefs David and Andrew about it. David was so beyond enthusiastic about it that I had to get it. I called Rodney and Mickey and asked how long before I got it. I love both of these guys. If you purchase fish wholesale or retail on the island you need to think about getting fish from these two folks. Super high quality fish at rock bottom prices! AND AMAZINGLY COOL GUYS to boot!

Over the next three days we sold over fifty percent halibut to our guests. I had invited any guests who were in the restaurant when the fish was delivered to come and look at it. Almost every table came out to view the beast. The best three preparation had to be Grilled Halibut Louisbourg which was grilled halibut served over hand rolled Saffron pasta tossed with lobster, scallop and mussels in a white wine, mushroom and tomato confit sauce; Wild Halibut Szechuan - served on Bamboo Rice Risotto with Raymond Loo's Summer Cabbage and Broccoli in a Ginger, Shiitake and Green Onion Sauce or the grilled Halibut on Saffron Fettuccine with locally foraged Chanterelles, Pancetta and Soleil's Leeks... wowzers!

On a side note:

I say Halibut lead dark lives because that one came into the kitchen later that night and busted a cap in Duncan's Ass during service... sort of a swim by... YEAH DAYBOAT!