Halibut; a Recipe, a Lesson

When we went to Alaska, we visited a Christian Community near Hoonah. While we were there, we were served a wonderful dinner, mostly made from food they had raised themselves. The main dish was fish. It was so delicious, and of course, we had to ask for the recipe. We got the recipe, but also a lesson in frugality.

The community is mostly self sufficient, and has several income generating endeavors. A major one is fishing; Halibut fishing to be more exact. When they clean their fish, the large fillets are set aside to sell. This is what the buyers are looking for. Many fishermen would just discard what remained, but these fishermen salvage what is left; mostly the cheek meat. That cheek meat is what they bring back to the community. It was what we were enjoying that evening for dinner.

The recipe: Halibut Caddy Gantry
1-2 lbs of light fish Halibut, Cod or other (fillets or cheeks!)

-Lightly salt the fillets and put in a large blow. Add enough dry white wine to cover. Cover the bowl with wax paper and chill for 2 hours.

-Drain and pat dry. Roll in dry bread crumbs and place in a single layer in lightly buttered baking dish. Cover thickly with a mixture of 1 1/2 C sour cream, 3/4 mayonnaise, and 3/4 C finely chopped onion.

-Sprinkle with paprika or lemon pepper. Bake a t 350 for 15-20 minutes until light brown and bubbly. Top with grated cheese (Parmesan is good!) and bake until cheese melts.

The lesson:
How often do we discard perfectly good food just because it isn't the best or easiest part to use? Using things that others would discard, and getting the most use out of things is all part of being frugal and stewarding our resources. It's a lesson I am still learning.