April’s Featured Catch: Halibut
Here’s a fish that’ll bring new flavors to your cooking repertoire.
Mar 21, 2025
White as snow and pure of flavor, wild Alaska halibut is like a template for making a variety of delicious, healthy dinners. Its firm, thick flesh earns comparisons to steak, but it’s lighter and even more versatile than any cut of beef.
Fish and chips? Halibut’s great for that, especially for eaters who are hesitant about seafood; salty and slightly sweet, it’s perhaps the least “fish-y” of fish. Fish tacos? Well, the texture of halibut is perfect: Just place a few grilled cubes of halibut on a corn or flour tortilla, add salsa, guacamole, and sour cream, plus some thinly sliced cabbage for crunch and perhaps a few jalapeños for heat. Delicioso!
Of course, there’s a reason you’ll find halibut on Michelin-starred restaurant menus. Chefs love working with the fish because it’s like a muse, inspiring new preparations and experimentation with sauces and flavors.
More on the inspiring preparation options below, but first, let’s look at Vital Choice’s source of wild Alaska halibut, Copper River Seafoods. For nearly 30 years, this company has partnered with independent fishermen all along Alaska’s coastline to source top-quality, sustainably fished halibut that can be shipped directly to your home.
Know where your halibut comes from
It’s important to know where your seafood comes from for your health and the health of the planet. Vital Choice works with Copper River Seafoods, a company run by Scott Blake, the patriarch of a multi-generational fishing family from Alaska. He explains the difference between his and the other companies. "Not only are we Alaska fisherman founded, but because of our value-added processing capabilities within Alaska, our Alaska halibut for Vital Choice customers goes directly from the ocean to high-quality flash-frozen portions within a very short timeframe."
Copper River Seafoods works with fishermen with their own boats and fishing quotas. This ensures that they catch only what they are allowed to as dictated by governing bodies that manage fish populations. Blake says: “We focus on quality, competitive pricing, sustainability, traceability, food safety, and direct access to the resource, and those six things are critical to long-term success and partnerships in the seafood business” — including the relationship with Vital Choice.
In other words, the supply chain for a fish like wild Alaska halibut is as pure as the fish itself. Everyone involved, from Copper River Seafoods to the men and women who take their boats into the pristine Alaskan waters to fish for halibut for Vital Choice, is invested in the sustainability and high quality of the fish.
Meet the fishermen who catch your wild Alaska halibut
Rion Teague Vanek has fished for Copper River Seafoods for over a decade. Like many fishermen working with the company, he’s devoted to his craft and multi-generational — his 85-year-old father still occasionally accompanies him onboard.
Teague, as he’s known to friends and fellow fishermen, catches halibut near Ninilchik in the Kenai Peninsula. He likes to fish for halibut in the late spring and early summer, taking his gill netter out for three- or four-day trips with just one or two crewmen. The halibut are caught on longlines baited with about 500 hooks. Teague says the average size of the halibut he catches is about 28 to 30 pounds (after cleaning, the weight averages about 23 pounds per fish).
It can be hard work: Teague explains that the process of baiting all those hooks can take a full day of preparation before the crew even leaves the dock. For bait, he uses octopus sourced from fishermen friends, as well as underutilized species such as cod from his previous trips. Even the halibut eat well!
Another seasoned Copper River Seafoods fisherman, Makena O’Toole, sources his halibut during four- or five-day trips to the Gulf of Alaska and occasionally, Prince William Sound. He has become an innovator in his field, lobbying to be allowed to fish for halibut with pots, where the fish swim into baited pots, which reduces bycatch and prevents orcas from stealing the halibut off the hooks, which O’Toole says has become a problem as whale populations increase.
While many fisheries, such as salmon, are managed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the International Pacific Halibut Commission oversees wild halibut and ensures it is sustainably fished. The joint U.S.-Canada commission oversees halibut stocks along the Pacific Coast, and fishermen like Teague and O’Toole adhere to policies set by the IPHC to preserve the precious resource.
Halibut at home: How to cook the versatile fish
Wild Alaska halibut is a healthy lunch or dinner option, with 42 grams of protein per 6- to 8-ounce fillet, and it’s high in vitamins B6 and B12 and magnesium (for bone density) and niacin (for heart health).
Not only is it good for you, halibut is also a remarkably easy protein to cook and employ in a wide range of dishes. Teague notes that its texture makes halibut ideal for seafood chowder: “It has a nice firm flesh that holds together, while other fish tend to fall apart.” That firmness also means halibut can be quickly cooked under a broiler or on a grill.
For those who like the convenience of air fryers, wild Alaska halibut can be seasoned with salt, pepper, butter or olive oil, and herbs, and cooked in a single layer at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes until it becomes light golden brown on top and flakes easily when touched with a fork.
That flakiness is part of halibut's appeal. The subtle texture makes the fish a perfect partner for sauces while ensuring every bite is clean and supple. It even tastes luxurious!
AUTHOR
Richard Martin is a writer, editor, and strategist who specializes in food, drink, and travel. He is the co-founder and editor of Appetito, the new online publication about Italian food and drink, and the co-author of the cookbook series Preserved, from publisher Hardie Grant NA.
