Beautiful Alaskan halibut is finally on tap through our connection with the small boat all-women team of our friend Grace of Graceful Fisheries. After years of wating to find the right partner we are so excited to be able to expand our offerings to include her delicious and versatile fish. To introduce to this new species we thought it would be fun to share a few fun facts about halibut and Adelia’s family story of the largest of the flatfish. Stay tuned for our next blog post which will have a tale or two from Tollef’s five years of halibut seasons.

Halibut Fun Facts

Protein Powerhouse: 3 ounces of Pacific halibut has 19 grams of protein!

Certified Sustainable: Halibut is certified sustainable through both the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Alaska Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM).

Eyes migrate: Halibut are born with eyes on either side of their head like salmon. As they mature their eyes migrate to one side of their head, most to the right, but about 1 in 20,000 halibut have eyes on their left side.

‘Barn Doors’ and ‘chickens’: Pacific halibut can grow to over 500 pounds and over 8 feet and are referred to as “barn doors”. Small halibut are referred to as ‘chickens.’

Belly Rubs: If they’re flopping around after being pulled from the water, you can flip them over and vigorously rub their white bellies - it calms them right down!

But Wait, There’s More: Find more facts and nutrition information here.

Adelia’s halibut history

From birth, halibut was what sustained our family. Dad would be gone on the 60-foot steel F/V Valorous skippered by owner Loyd Larsen that fished a grueling around-the-clock schedule with each crew member working 20 hours on and having 4 hours off to eat and sleep until the boat was full. Though he loved the adventure and the boat he was on, by the time my twin sister and I were three years old, Dad had decided to become a salmon set-netter so he could be with his family, instead of coming home to find his daughters a bit shy. In a way, I point to halibut fishing as what led my family into the salmon life I live now.

Here is my dad holding us twins with what the caption on this photo says was the largest halibut their boat caught in the 1978 season, at more than 7 feet in length and 400 pounds. This would be referred to as a “barn door.” Dad told of being roused from his bunk during his precious 4 hours of sleep to come help bring this lunker on board. In his underwear he ran on deck, grabbed a gaff, and leaned over the rail to help haul it in, while (so the story goes), his skipper held on to his waistband so he wouldn’t fall overboard. Talk about dedication to the fishery!

Tollef and I feel compelled to mention that the fish we are selling are not these massive ones. We prefer the tender and tasty characteristics of the smaller “chicken” variety. But it is pretty amazing to contemplate the life and power of these behemoths!

A Barn Door Halibut Story