For this week’s blog I intended to announce a Father’s day Special of: fingerling potatoes, fresh Ont. Perch and an Australian Wagyu steak for $50.00, but as I write this there is some uncertainty if the Perch will get from the wharf to the processing plant in time to ship. So, if the Perch does not connect to shipping we will substitute pickerel or Columbia trout for the Perch. So, the special will be fingerling potatoes (2 lb) and pan fish for breakfast and a 10 ounce Wagyu steak for supper. All for $50.00. Sorry guys, you have to supply your own beer.

          The other fresh fish we are expecting are: Arctic Char, Atlantic salmon, B.C. Halibut, Atlantic Cod, Columbia River trout and Ontario pickerel. We are also stocking up on frozen species of fish including Krunchy Haddock, grouper, tuna and B.C. Herb & Garlic battered cod.

          Normally our next fresh fish arrival date would be July 02, but because of the July 01 holiday shipping and supply is disrupted. I anticipate our next fresh fish will be July 16th. You may want to stock up on salmon for the July 01 holiday.

          Regarding the father’s day special steak, Wagyu cattle are native to Japan and genetically have more marbling than even our best black angus, the fat in Wagyu has a lower melting point than regular beef; so, they need a high heat fast cook. If you treat them to a dry rub and high heat for 3 minutes per side, you will have a tender flavourful steak with a well browned crust and uniformly pink inside.  All grilled steaks need to rest about 4 to5 minutes to allow the juices to reincorporate into the meat. Even though the raw steaks seem to exhibit a lot of fat; the fat melts into the flesh and is not visible in the cooked steak. After grilling a Wagyu steak I would hold it at about 350 degrees F for 5 minutes in the oven or top of the BBQ

          If you want special cuts of salmon or a whole filet, email or phone us on Wed. and it will be set aside for you.

          I plan to have smoked salmon on Sat. June 20th, weather permitting.

          Last week we had our first fresh game meat weekend. It went well, we have a new game meat supplier (Laferme)  and our game meat freezer is well stocked. We also received some deli meats and a scrumptious braised beef pot pie from Laferme.

We eat and feed our families the same meat we sell to you!

 

RegardsDon & staff

This week’s blog is a little late; but I had not one, but two computer crashes. The plan was to update information on Game meat, but I can’t miss the opportunity to mention beef pricing. I tried to explain it last week and since then rib-eye steaks went up 50 cents and strip loins came down 50 cents. We have also added two more wrinkles to spur the increase in beef prices. The continued disruption with the straight of Hormuz is increasing the cost of fuel, which increases the cost of everything including freight. The latest problem is the flesh eating screw worm that is infesting cattle in Mexico and Texas.  Cattle in those regions are blocked from import and movement thus decreasing the supply of beef available.

          Our game meat sales have been sliding; I think it is the higher cost in what is a time of increased food prices and uncertainty. So, to kick start game meat we are changing the programme. We have switched suppliers for better pricing and better supply. Our first delivery from the supplier (Le Ferme Black Creek Farm) will be this Friday and we will have some interesting new items. We plan to have a once a month delivery of fresh game meat, grass finished beef and Ontario lamb (in season) The monthly arrival will follow the first fresh week. We will post it in our blog and on our website. It will probably take a month or so for us to hit our stride and round out our selection.

          For starters we are going to emphasize bison, venison, wild boar, grass finished beef and Ontario lamb, plus a few interesting sundries like Bison salami and kangaroo burgers. If you have an interest in other game or Quebec based products, come in and advise and we will try to find it for you.

Regards

Don and staff

Well it is fresh fish time again. We will have fresh fish on hand from June 04 to June 07. This week we should have Atlantic salmon, wild Arctic Char, Columbia River Trout, Wild B.C. halibut, wild Ontario pickerel, and wild Icelandic Cod. 
    The frozen Krunchy Haddock will also be back in stock. All of our frozen selection has good inventory. The Krunchy Haddock which is very popular has been hit and miss as far as supply goes; but we are good this go-round.
Freshly smoked Atlantic Salmon will be ready for Saturday afternoon and Sunday.
    With the summer warmth upon us and lots of outdoor cooking it is time to be mindful that fresh meat spoils more quickly in the heat. We do our very very best to bring in quality fresh meat, but you can do your part as well. The health unit uses the 2 hour limit as a rule of thumb for fresh meat. Fresh meat should be at room temperature no more than 2 hours.
The health unit and other food experts are preaching newer methods of thawing meat that has been vacuum sealed and frozen. They suggest that meat should be removed from vacpacking before thawing. I have posted below a copy of the label we will be putting on fish, chicken and pork.

 

    We originally ordered Rainbow trout; but the fish were not yet market size, so our supplier substitutes the Columbia River trout    I found the Columbia River trout to be milder in flavour than the Rainbow and the filet size is a better serving portion than Rainbow.
In the wild Columbia trout feed primarily on insects, so, they have less of a ‘fishy” taste than those that eat smaller fish.
    Both Rainbow and Columbia is available wild caught, but the majority is farmed. Unlike Atlantic salmon which is farmed in steel cages in ocean water, Rainbow and Columbia are farmed inland in spring fed raceways. Raceways are the preferred farming method of Environmentalists. “Raceways are long, linear containment structures used for farming fish. They're often in a terraced configuration and usually above ground. These systems can be indoors or outdoors. Types include flow through where the wastewater leaves the facility and recirculating where the water is treated and re-used. Species such as Columbia trout and rainbow trout are farmed in raceways”
    Both rainbow and Columbia River trout are descendants of Steelhead salmon. The Rainbow we find locally evolved from the Steelhead that was stocked in the Great Lakes to supplement game fishing. The Columbia River trout descended from Steelhead that migrated up the Columbia from the Pacific Ocean, liked what they found and stayed.

    
Best regards
Don & staff

 

There are many topics to write about, but the one that seems to be on peoples minds is beef and the price of beef. The expert’s quick reply to the high cost is that there has been a prolonged drought in the American Midwest. However it is far more complicated than that.
    First beef is an International product and we need to look at pricing as a world issue. Also beef in North America is quite integrated, cattle from Canada, the U.S.A. and Mexico have moved freely across borders. It has been cheaper to slaughter, process and fatten beef in the U.S.A. because of cheap immigrant labour and cheaper feed costs. So, Canada has shipped year old beef to the States for fattening and processing, and then we buy back finished cuts. Lately the U.S.A. has taken a more protectionist stance and that has curtailed some cross border activity; but, not much. Another factor to keep in mind is that the Americans consume more beef than they produce and they consume more ground beef than steers naturally yield. Another complicating factor is the Mexican beef has been banned as an import into the U.S. because of an infectious disease known as horn worm.
    The nub of it is there is not enough beef to meet the demand; usually when demand is greater than supply the price goes up until demand lowers. This time demand remains unchanged and the price keeps going up.
    Another mitigating factor is the age of farmers and their reluctance to increase the herd size. Put yourself in the farmer’s shoes; you have a one year old heifer that you can fatten and sell for a high price now or you can have her bred and wait 2.5 years to sell her calf at a unknown price. Factor in high feed costs, high fuel costs and high fertilizers costs; the result is beef prices will continue to rise.
    There are ways to manage your beef consumption; many steaks are large enough to share, so grill your favorite steak, portion it and serve it family style on a platter. Many retailers have gone to cheaper grades of beef leading to tough meat and dissatisfaction. We have maintained our high standards for AAA Black Angus Steaks.
    Ground beef is another interesting story; there is not enough to meet demand; most ground beef is made from un-aged fatty trim, un-aged lean trim, old bulls, culls, and old dairy cattle. In some case water is added in the form of ice chips and organ meats are thrown into the grinder as well. Our ground beef is ground from primal cuts that are from dry-aged steers, usually shanks, round and lean aged trim. I recently did an experiment where I bought a pound of ground from a competitor; I made an 8 ounce patty from it as well as an 8 ounce patty of our ground and cooked them exactly the same. Our beef had 20% less shrinkage. I also stir fried a portion of each with salt, pepper and onions and ran a taste test with our customers. Our beef was the hands down favorite for flavour and texture.
    We sell our ground in 5 lb lots, individually vacpacked in 1 lb pkgs.  for $45.00. We also sell a proprietary blend of brisket and chuck (Brischuck) for 5 for $50.00 and a grass fed, grass finished ground for 5 for $60.00. All of the above grounds are available in single 1 lb packs.

We believe that quality pays: as the Red-Neck says. 
Good Meat ain’t cheap
And cheap meat ain’t good

The other aspect of ground beef is its versatility; there must be a thousand recipes for ground beef; I have attached one of my favourites:

MACORONI, BEEF, TOMATO
YIELD   4-6                                                                      

Qty.        INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 Cups    Elbow Macaroni
        Butter for sautéing
1 Lb.              Black Angus ground beef
1         Med Ont. cooking onion diced.
1 Tbsp.    Sea salt, divided
1 Tbsp.    Ground pepper, divided
4 Cups    Fresh tomatoes, diced & stewed ( sub. 28 oz Can)    
Pinch        Fine herbs (Herbs de Provence)
1 Tsp.     Sugar
A few        Drops lemon juice                                                                                                     
1/ 2 Can    Condensed tomato soup (10 oz. Can)                                                                                                                                                           
1 Cup         Shredded cheddar
        Ground pepper to taste.

METHOD
Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for 4-5 minutes, remove skin , coarsely chop tomatoes and place in pot with herbs, sugar, half of salt & half of pepper and lemon juice. Cook 15 –20 minutes until tomatoes are soft. Hold warm. Boil pasta in ample salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water, add a little butter and set aside. Sauté onion 2-3 minutes, add beef, half of salt & half of pepper to pan. Cook until no longer any pink and meat begins to brown.  Drain meat of excess fat, and then combine with pasta, tomatoes, & soup.  Mixture should be fairly wet. If canned tomatoes were not juicy add a half cup tomato juice. Place mixture in a greased 9 x 13 pan, sprinkle cheddar on top, grind fresh pepper over cheese to garnish. Bake 35 – 40 minutes at 375 degrees F. until cheese is bubbly. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

Note: The tomato soup gives the tomato mixture some “cling”.

We eat and feed our families the same meat we sell to you!

Regards
Don & staff

Note: This blog and others are stored in our website under the Tab “recipes and blogs” if you need them for reference.
If you are aware of anyone wanting to receive my blogs; send me their email.
 

Well, we are back to blogging about fish again. For our last fresh fish order we ordered rainbow trout but, the fish were undersized for harvesting, so our Monger subbed Columbia river red-striped trout. It was very well received as a very tasty fish. (I really liked it as well). I just checked with our supplier and we will receive the Columbia trout this week as well. Both Columbia trout and Rainbow trout are sub-species of Steelhead Salmon.

Technically both are salmon. (Arctic Char is technically a trout) So, rainbow was introduced to the Great Lakes to improve sport fishing and have since been adapted to a farmed fish. Columbia River trout are descendants of Steelhead that migrated into the Columbia from the Pacific Ocean and decided to stay. They migrate into smaller tributaries of the Columbia to spawn. The Columbia River trout are considerable smaller than Rainbow and the flesh is a more vibrant red colour. Columbia trout have a red dorsal stripe whereas Rainbow has the rainbow hue dorsal stripe.

          I found the Columbia River trout to be milder in flavour than the Rainbow and the filet size is a better one serving portion than Rainbow.

In the wild Columbia trout feed primarily on insects, so, they have less of a ‘fishy” taste than those that eat smaller fish.

          Both Rainbow and Columbia is available wild caught, but the majority is farmed. Unlike Atlantic Salmon which are farmed in steel cages in ocean water, Rainbow and Columbia are farmed inland in spring fed raceways. Raceways are the preferred farming method of Environmentalists. “Raceways are long, linear containment structures used for farming fish. They're often in a terraced configuration and usually above ground. These systems can be indoors or outdoors. Types include flow through where the wastewater leaves the facility and recirculating where the water is treated and re-used. Species such as Columbia trout and rainbow trout are farmed in raceways”

 

         This week’s fresh catch will include Atlantic Salmon, Columbia Trout, wild pickerel Ont., wild Halibut B.C. If you need special cuts or a whole side. Phone or email asap

        We are restocking all our frozen products including the very popular Krunchy Haddock.

Best regards

Don & staff

P.S. we are postponing smoked salmon until June 4th because of cool weather

DONS BLOG #17- MAY 2026

 

          This weeks Blog will be short; as I am suffering an early summer cold. The Mothers day special with the lobster tail went well. The lobster tails are all gone. We still have a large supply of the Australian Wagyu Picanha steaks at $29.95 each

          This coming weekend is the “May 24” weekend and the start of BBQ season. So, as well as the Aussie Wagyu we are super stocked with Prime AAA Black Angus strip loins, rib-eyes and top sirloins.

          As you are probably aware beef has been going up in price like crazy; the short answer to why is there is a shortage of cattle ready for slaughter; usually when the price goes up the demand slows down and prices fall. Currently there is no let up in demand and prices keep rising. You (the consumer) are of course price conscious. Many of the BIG BOX stores have chosen to bring in cheaper grades and imported beef. We have stuck with offering the best beef we can buy. This philosophy has worked for us as we gained the reputation of offering top quality steaks when you have a special occasion and want that super steak.

          The other end of the beef business is ground beef, and again we have gone for quality verses the lowest price. Our ground beef is significantly different from supermarket ground, and there is a reason. Most ground beef comes from dairy cattle, culls and trim. Our ground beef comes from primal cuts of dry aged steers. The usual cuts are : inside round, outside round and shanks. It runs an average of 25-30% fat, which is ideal for flavour and juiciness. We offer a special price of 5 packages (vacuum-pak) for $45.00

                    Regarding smoked salmon, I will be smoking salmon for Saturday morning.

         

DONS BLOG #17- MAY 2026

 

          This weeks Blog will be short; as I am suffering an early summer cold. The Mothers day special with the lobster tail went well. The lobster tails are all gone. We still have a large supply of the Australian Wagyu Picanha steaks at $29.95 each

          This coming weekend is the “May 24” weekend and the start of BBQ season. So, as well as the Aussie Wagyu we are super stocked with Prime AAA Black Angus strip loins, rib-eyes and top sirloins.

          As you are probably aware beef has been going up in price like crazy; the short answer to why is there is a shortage of cattle ready for slaughter; usually when the price goes up the demand slows down and prices fall. Currently there is no let up in demand and prices keep rising. You (the consumer) are of course price conscious. Many of the BIG BOX stores have chosen to bring in cheaper grades and imported beef. We have stuck with offering the best beef we can buy. This philosophy has worked for us as we gained the reputation of offering top quality steaks when you have a special occasion and want that super steak.

          The other end of the beef business is ground beef, and again we have gone for quality verses the lowest price. Our ground beef is significantly different from supermarket ground, and there is a reason. Most ground beef comes from dairy cattle, culls and trim. Our ground beef comes from primal cuts of dry aged steers. The usual cuts are : inside round, outside round and shanks. It runs an average of 25-30% fat, which is ideal for flavour and juiciness. We offer a special price of 5 packages (vacuum-pak) for $45.00

                    Regarding smoked salmon, I will be smoking salmon for Saturday morning.

         

 

 

         

         

 

 

 

 

 

DONS BLOG #17- MAY 2026

 

          This weeks Blog will be short; as I am suffering an early summer cold. The Mothers day special with the lobster tail went well. The lobster tails are all gone. We still have a large supply of the Australian Wagyu Picanha steaks at $29.95 each

          This coming weekend is the “May 24” weekend and the start of BBQ season. So, as well as the Aussie Wagyu we are super stocked with Prime AAA Black Angus strip loins, rib-eyes and top sirloins.

          As you are probably aware beef has been going up in price like crazy; the short answer to why is there is a shortage of cattle ready for slaughter; usually when the price goes up the demand slows down and prices fall. Currently there is no let up in demand and prices keep rising. You (the consumer) are of course price conscious. Many of the BIG BOX stores have chosen to bring in cheaper grades and imported beef. We have stuck with offering the best beef we can buy. This philosophy has worked for us as we gained the reputation of offering top quality steaks when you have a special occasion and want that super steak.

          The other end of the beef business is ground beef, and again we have gone for quality verses the lowest price. Our ground beef is significantly different from supermarket ground, and there is a reason. Most ground beef comes from dairy cattle, culls and trim. Our ground beef comes from primal cuts of dry aged steers. The usual cuts are : inside round, outside round and shanks. It runs an average of 25-30% fat, which is ideal for flavour and juiciness. We offer a special price of 5 packages (vacuum-pak) for $45.00

                    Regarding smoked salmon, I will be smoking salmon for Saturday morning.

         

This weeks Blog will be short; as I am suffering an early summer cold. The Mothers day special with the lobster tail went well. The lobster tails are all gone. We still have a large supply of the Australian Wagyu Picanha steaks at $29.95 each

          This coming weekend is the “May 24” weekend and the start of BBQ season. So, as well as the Aussie Wagyu we are super stocked with Prime AAA Black Angus strip loins, rib-eyes and top sirloins.

          As you are probably aware beef has been going up in price like crazy; the short answer to why is there is a shortage of cattle ready for slaughter; usually when the price goes up the demand slows down and prices fall. Currently there is no let up in demand and prices keep rising. You (the consumer) are of course price conscious. Many of the BIG BOX stores have chosen to bring in cheaper grades and imported beef. We have stuck with offering the best beef we can buy. This philosophy has worked for us as we gained the reputation of offering top quality steaks when you have a special occasion and want that super steak.

          The other end of the beef business is ground beef, and again we have gone for quality verses the lowest price. Our ground beef is significantly different from supermarket ground, and there is a reason. Most ground beef comes from dairy cattle, culls and trim. Our ground beef comes from primal cuts of dry aged steers. The usual cuts are : inside round, outside round and shanks. It runs an average of 25-30% fat, which is ideal for flavour and juiciness. We offer a special price of 5 packages (vacuum-pak) for $45.00

                    Regarding smoked salmon, I will be smoking salmon for Saturday morning.

 

         

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was my intention for this week’s blog to write about ground beef and its many virtues for economy and nutrition; but something else more important has come up. For decades I have struggled to obtain a consistent supply of Ontario lamb, game meats and grass fed beef. It has always been a bit hit and misses; but, voila, I think I have a solution.

          During my tenure I have had two good Ont. lamb suppliers; they were able to supply fresh lamb when and what I wanted. They both went out of business and I turned to New Zealand and Australian lamb which have a constant supply (frozen). I have recently thought about it and concluded that Ontario lamb is a seasonal product. In the older system of sheep farming the ewes would come into estrus in late Sept. The farmer would release the ram into the flock and the sheep would be bred. The ewes carry the lambs for about 4 ½ months, give birth and three to five months later you have spring lambs with an ideal eight of about 95 lbs live weight. The lambs are raised on mother’s milk and nutritious spring grass to yield tender delicious lamb. Modern farms are trying to artificially start estrus by using lighting and temperature controlled barns to yield 3 crops every two years. But without the spring grass the flavour is not as sweet. Once lambs reach about 90 lbs they start to produce more fat than meat, so, the market price drops off per lb.

Conclusion: Fresh Ontario lamb is seasonal.

          Bison and Elk are raised on ranges that try to simulate the wild and rely on natural breeding cycles; hence we have dips and valleys in supply.

          When dealing with grass fed beef, you must ensure the beef is both grass fed and grass finished. Most cattle are on grass most of their life and then finished on grain, which leads to greater weight gain and more marbling. Some big box suppliers and online merchants are using the term grass fed to include grass-fed-grain finished. We use the term grass fed for grass fed grass finished. There are a number of local farms selling true grass fed beef; but they want you to buy a side, a quarter or a predetermed box of cuts costing several hundreds of dollars. We have always wanted to supply what you need for a meal when you want it.

          Don’s solution:

          Starting in June of this year we are going to designate one weekend per month to fresh game meat, fresh grass fed beef and fresh Ont. Lamb in season.  The balance of the month we will keep those products on hand frozen. We will also offer specials on those items on the monthly dates. The catch is we have to order a week in advance for the following Friday delivery. So, if you want something other than what I order you will need to order 10 days in advance. I will keep you reminded of order dates by blogs and emails.

          In order to get this program started we are going  to try to clear out our existing supply of Game meats at 20% off for the month of May.

I will advise you of what is coming in June for our first Game and Lamb weekend.

 

          Note for Mother’s day we will set up a lobster tail/steak special

 

        We eat and feed our families the same meat we sell to you!

 

Regards

Don & staff

 

Note: This blog and others are stored in our website under the Tab “recipes and blogs” if you need them for reference.

If you are aware of anyone wanting to receive my blogs; send me their email.

is Fresh Fish time again and spring is a hard time to buy/sell and catch fish.  As well as the weather being challenging for the fishers, many species of fish are off limits because it is their spawning time. Last fortnight, Arctic Char were unavailable as they migrate to spawning areas where they can’t be caught commercially. So, it is uncertain if we will have a catch this week. Haddock has now started their spawn, so there will be no haddock this week and perhaps none until the end of May. 
    Fortunately B.C. Halibut has finished its spawn and we will have fresh B.C. halibut this week. We will also have fresh Atlantic salmon, wild Ontario pickerel, and rainbow trout. We expect the trout filets to be smaller this week as it is a new season for market size trout. Most of our frozen fish selection is well stocked including the wild caught argentine shrimp.
    Last fortnight I detailed Atlantic Halibut and that information is available on our website under the Blog tab. This week I will outline a bit of the history of Rainbow trout. The rainbow trout we know now has descended from Steelhead salmon that were introduced into Lake Ontario in 1876-8. So rainbow is actually a salmon. So, like their ancestors they migrate from the larger body of water (Lakes) to their birth stream to spawn. We are fortunate to live near the Ganaraska river and can watch the annual Spring ritual as they swim upstream and try to breach Corbett’s Dam. There is a fish ladder there to assist their upstream journey. The Ontario Govt became active in stocking the lake from 1922 onwards for sport fishing. One of the first rainbow hatcheries was in Newcastle Ontario. Rainbows have been introduced to 99 countries and all continents except Antarctica. In some areas they are considered invasive as they can out compete native fish. In Canada grayling and brown trout have been negatively affected.
    In 1962 The Ontario Govt relinquished their monopoly on hatching rainbow and they fell into the private domain, which has resulted in many trout farms and commercial availability. So, while you can catch wild rainbow locally, the most is farm raised. 
While there is lots of controversy regarding farmed fish vs, wild caught fish, farmed fish have the advantage of consistent supply and freedom from mercury contamination.
    
    Both wild caught and farmed are highly nutritious and a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids; they have pink flesh, a small flake and a mild flavour. Just as in beef, chicken and pork, the quality of the farm, its feeding program and animal husbandry is the key to quality meat. It is our job to ensure we purchase from quality farms to provide you with quality meat. We have been at it for over 25 years and we eat and feed our families the same meat we sell to you!

Regards
Don & staff

THAWING VAC-PACKED FROZEN FISH

 

          A  few weeks ago I read  an article re thawing fish that has been vacpacked and frozen; it was contrary to what I have been doing for decades. So, I called the local Health unit for their advice. Their advice is to remove the fish from the vacuum sealed packaging and thaw it  loosely covered in your refrigerator. Apparently there is a risk of botulism lurking in the package. I have done some further reading and testing and found that thawing the fish outside the packaging delivers a fresher smelling piece of fish. My conclusion re freshness is that as the fish thaws it exudes moisture, that liquid in the bag gives turns odourous  quicker than  the fish itself.  If you rinse the fish in cold water the odour is greatly diminished.

          There are some fish products that are cooked from frozen and they do not do well with thawing. The frozen fish we carry that should be cooked from frozen are: Krunchy Haddock, Herb Crusted Cod and Potato and Cheese Crusted Cod. As a “rule of thumb” breaded fish products should be cooked from frozen.

          This week from Thursday 9th at noon until Sunday the 12th at three we will have te following fish fresh: Atlantic salmon, wild Arctic Char, Rainbow trout, wild Ontario pickerel, wild Atlantic Cod, & wild B.C. Halibut. We are also restocking our frozen selection, but Krunchy Haddock is out of stock at the fishmongers.

          Most of our fish comes in portion size filets, except Atlantic Salmon . Salmon filets run 3-3.5 lbs. so, we have those cut into smaller portion size pieces. If you want a whole side or special cuts of salmon set aside for you, you can preorder Wed. morning or sooner and we will accommodate your request.

          If you have been wondering about Duncan, the dog or my red-necked son-ion-lam, they both looked out the window this morning at dawn, saw the 4’  of fresh snow and put their hears back under the covers without comment.

          I have heard that Spring is just around the corner; but, no-one has told me which corner.

 

Regards

Don & staff.

P.S. There is no recipe his week as I spent Monday preparing my 2025 Income tax filing. An odourous task that had to be done to the detriment of other worthy pursuits!

 

It is time for my fortnightly update on fish; so, we will have fresh fish this week from Thursday 26th to Sunday 29th. We are expecting Atlantic Salmon, wild Arctic Char, Rainbow trout, wild Icelandic Cod, wild N.B. bay Scallops, wild pickerel & wild B.C. Halibut. We are also restocking our frozen selection with the exception of Krunchy Haddock which is out of stock at our fishmongers.

          Each fish week I plan to feature a fish and give you some background and  recipe. This week wild B.C. halibut is our feature. But, first some words from the redneck.

Words of Redneck Wisdom

My dietician says my enemy is deep fried food

Jesus says “ love thy enemy”

I guess my fate is to gain weight

 

          Halibut is considered by many to be the ultimate fish for flavour and texture. It is not as popular as salmon, as it is at least twice as expensive. It is the best fish for deep fried “fish and chips”. The flesh is white and nutritious, the texture is more “meat-like” than other fish. It is the largest of the flat fish group. Both Pacific and Atlantic Halibut can grow to 500 lbs, but that is unusual. The majority of fish caught by anglers and commercial fisheries range from 50-75 lbs.  There was a recent landing in Saguenay Fjord in Québec that weighed 244 lbs. When the fish hatch they swim upright near the surface and feed on plankton. As they mature the eyes migrate to top of the flat fish and it swims with skeleton horizontal. Mature fish rest on the bottom and are carnivorous feeders. They camouflage themselves on the bottom by having a dark skin on the back that resembles the ocean floor. The belly skin is white. The fish will swim at mid-levels to hunt prey.  Halibut are sectioned into 4 fletches rather than 2 filets as in most fish. There are 2 back fletches and 2 belly fletches. The bottom and  top fetches are the same after the skin is removed. I have not noticed a difference in taste between Atlantic and Pacific Halibut; but I have a customer whose father was an Atlantic fisher and she can tell the difference.

          Halibut are caught using hook and line methods A large hook is regulated to minimize catching smaller halibut and other fishes. The industry in the Pacific is well regulated and the species is not endangered, The Atlantic fishery is not as well regulated and the population is in decline. The Canadian govt. is trying to protect and rebuild the Atlantic fishery in the Saguenay Fjord.

          We purchase mostly Pacific halibut in 4-5 lb fletches, the fletches are then skinned and re-cut to consumer size pieces.

          Halibut can be grilled, fried, baked, poached, stewed,  or battered and deep fried I have developed a beer batter mix that I use for deep frying Halibut. It is included in the recipe below.

 

 

BATTERED HALIBUT

Or other white fish

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup                     HOUSTONS Crispy Beer Batter mix

2 x 6 oz. filets        Fresh Halibut

                               Sea salt to taste

                               White Pepper to taste

1 Egg                     For egg wash

1 Can                     Beer or carbonated soft drink like soda water

 

Directions

Add  dry ingredients to a bowl, then slowly add beer mixing as you go. You need a consistency like pancake batter.

 

Battering fish  4-6  oz pieces work best

Set up an egg wash bowl

Set up a plate with flour for dusting—can be seasoned

Lightly season fish with salt, pepper, then dip in egg wash, allow excess to drip off; then dust in flour and finally submerge in batter. Have oil at 375 F and lower fish into hot oil Rollover after 5 minutes. Fish should be golden colour

BEER BATTER does about 2 lbs

1.5                          Cups  Flour

1/ 2 Cup                 Corn Starch

1 Tbsp                    Baking powder

1 Tbsp                    Celery salt

1 Tsp                      Sea salt to taste

1 Tsp.                     White Pepper to taste

1 Can                     Beer or carbonated soft drink like soda water

 

Directions

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, then slowly add beer mixing as you go. You need a consistency like pancake batter.

 

          If you want whole filets of salmon or cuts of salmon or other fish, phone in your order and we set it aside for you—905-342-2499

Well that is blog #10

Best regards

Don & staff