Halibut anyone?

Now about the halibut.  First of all, It’s complicated… it really is. And the story starts over a decade ago when Jeff and I were dating so bear with me. This one will be long out of necessity, but in the end I can assure you that you will appreciate the significance of the halibut. At least I hope so otherwise I am a terrible writer and you should just quit reading this stuff!  

 

Once upon a time, Jeff actually enjoyed my spontaneous, energetic and slightly crazy side.  Back then, I think he actually found it attractive, possibly even irresistible.  Now I am pretty sure these same traits that once made me so appealing, drive him crazy on a regular basis.  He probably wonders what he was thinking when he proposed.  Anyways back when my then boyfriend (now husband) Jeff decided to go on a two week trip to Alaska with his family; I decided to have some fun of my own. My sister lived in the same area of Alaska that Jeff’s family was visiting so I totally told him I was going on a work trip and flew up to Alaska a few days before they arrived and surprised him at the airport wearing a home-made, wild, tie dyed, shirt that read “Happy Birthday Jeff”. Oh and a hot pink wig.  I was wearing one of those too! 

 

In Alaska when I crashed his family’s camping trip, he was elated and smiled ear to ear.  If I tried to pull the same crap today, I am pretty sure we would end up divorced!  Anyhow, if you hadn’t already guessed it during the trip Jeff’s dad caught a 200 pound halibut and had fifty pounds of it flash frozen and shipped home.  We ate much of it up over the course of the next couple years (it really is some of the best fish I have ever eaten) and when we moved in 2012 we found a nice sized fillet of the halibut in the freezer.  Like most of you reading this, I was convinced we should throw it out immediately before it killed someone, but Jeff insisted we bring it along. His argument being that, “it’s fine because it has been in the freezer the whole time”.  I was too tired to argue at the time (I mean we were well immersed in the moving process for a family of five and all our meager belongs (including, but not limited to, a dog, rabbit, flock of chickens and a lot of sh*t) so the halibut stayed in the deep freezer and made the move with us.

 

 The worst part was cutting the skin off the raw fish! YUCK

(insert gagging noises for me please because I was totally gagging while I did this)

 

 Die Killer Microbes, Die!!!

 

 

 

 The recipe for disaster: me and an 11-year old halibut fillet!

 

 

 The finished product Halibut Casserole. 

Despite the age issue, it really does taste good!

 

Flash forward a couple years and I am amidst this stupid, self-imposed, grocery shopping challenge.  When I did my beginning inventory, I found the damn halibut fillet.  I was not happy about this discovery.  I voiced my concern to Jeff and told him that we should totally throw it out and cut our losses, but he was adamant that it was fine and he felt we should eat it for dinner.  We have been amidst an ugly stand off ever since (for like over two months).  Well the other day I had enough so while planning my weekly menu I decided to get rid of the halibut once and for all.  I was not about to disappoint my husband by throwing it away.  So halibut casserole became Monday’s meal this week!  I boiled the heck out of it. For real.  Like 15 minutes of a rolling boil.  After witnessing the boiling process, I decided that the chances that anything poisonous to us actually survived was unlikely.  Plus, as I already mentioned, my husband makes a living protecting people from food born illnesses and he felt completely comfortable with it.  So we totally had halibut casserole for supper Monday and as leftovers last night!  And other than it being spongier than usual it totally tasted great.  A friend pointed out that this fillet is older than all of my children which is totally true.  I can't argue with that  and if I stop to think about it is still a bit disturbing, but the important thing is the stand-off is over and we both got to win (kind of) and we are still alive so I am happy...and the challenge continues.  Maybe we will make it to St.Patrick’s Day.  Tonight we are eating a venison roast from 2008.  Not as impressive as the halibut, but I am still excited to be rid of it!

Vern Out