THE HALIBUT FISHERIES 129 



In addition to the production of packaged halibut steaks for retail 

 frozen food cabinets, a large portion of the halibut steaks are prepared 

 at central locations for the chain stores and packaged in the familiar 

 tray carton and overwrapped with transparent film. These packages 

 usually are placed in the self-service fresh fish cabinets where the fish 

 thaws slowly and is ready for immediate use. Obviously, rapid turnover 

 is essential to this service because if the thawed fish is not sold promptly, 

 quality loss or spoilage may occur. 



Other forms of fresh or frozen halibut are packaged fillets from small 

 or chicken halibut, halibut roasts from the tail or nape sections, and 

 breaded fillets or portions ready to cook. Recently halibut has been used 

 as the main ingredient in TV dinners, including precooked broiled steaks, 

 fried halibut sticks, and the deep fat fried halibut pieces. The meaty 

 portion or cheeks from the sides of the large halibut heads have a mild 

 flavor and a different texture liked by many; therefore, these are cut 

 and frozen for both retail fish cabinets and the restaurants. The cheeks 

 are cut, washed, and frozen in 1 and 5-pound cartons shortly after the 

 halibut are landed. 



Miscellaneous Halibut Products 



The halibut is actually a most versatile food fish and lends itself to 

 the preparation of several other products. Demand for halibut as frozen 

 steaks, price, and competition from other foods have limited the produc- 

 tion of other forms of halibut. Among these are: (1) canned halibut — a 

 mild-flavored product with tender texture produced by precooking the 

 fish and adding vegetable oil before heat processing, (2) kippered hali- 

 but — produced primarily by brining and hot smoking the tips and usable 

 portions trimmed in preparation of steaks, (3) salted halibut — salted or 

 brined halibut is produced mostly in coastal areas for home use. One 

 other product should be mentioned: halibut liver oil — still produced for 

 those markets in which a natural vitamin A is desired. Value and produc- 

 tion of halibut liver oil declined drastically, as did other natural vitamin 

 A sources in the U.S., when synthetic vitamin A was introduced at low 

 prices after World War II. 



Sablefish 



Brief mention should be made of the relation and importance of the 

 sablefish catch to the halibut fishery. The sablefish {Anoplopoma fimbria) 

 or black cod is caught in substantial quantity by the halibut boats during 

 the latter part of the season, at which time 1 pound of halibut may be 

 taken for every 7 pounds of sablefish. The sablefish is a most desirable 

 food fish and is valued particularly for its high oil content (12 to 14 per 



