# Love Halibut but it's pricey, any economical substitutes ?



## red sled (Jan 22, 2018)

Looking for ideas for our next fish smoking session. We really enjoy Halibut but it's pricey, so is Salmon. Tilapia is good, but we'd like to try some different fish. Since we live in small town Iowa ,USA we have a Wal Mart, HyVee, and Fareway.  Costco and the other big stores are 90 minutes away in Des Moines but we do go there occasionally.  Any suggestions for good mild fish at a great price ?  Is Cod a possibility ?   Thanks.

EDIT _    I like salmon but my wife won't eat any strong tasting fish. She likes Halibut, Tilapia, bass, crappie, etc.


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## AllAces (Jan 22, 2018)

I have found that cod is a good substitute.


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## SonnyE (Jan 22, 2018)

Second to Salmon, I like cod. I like the flavor of it, but I don't think I've ever smoked it. It has a distinct flavor, so your wife may not like it. Try a small amount. Personally, I have not been real happy with Walmart meat. But that may be a local thing.
I only get Plastic Fish anymore. The flash frozen, individual portions kind.
All the works done.

My last Salmon smoke, I took the Plastic Fish and laid them out on my two racks. When the racks looked full, there was my batch. Thawed them, dry brined them, smoked them, and have about ate all of them. LOL, Some planning, huh?
I've been eating Plastic Meat for a while now.


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## dls1 (Jan 22, 2018)

red sled,

When substituting one fish for another I consider 2 main qualities, texture and flavor. I then consider each quality in 3 classifications. With texture, it's delicate, moderate, or firm. With flavor, it's mild, moderate, or full. Using that methodology, I consider halibut a firm and mild fish.

Though I can't think of a fish that would be a direct substitute for halibut, grouper, snapper, walleye, and turbot would be fine alternatives. Also, I wouldn't consider cod a substitute as while it has a mild flavor, the texture is very delicate.


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## tropics (Jan 22, 2018)

I would not recommend Cod!! Cod have worms up in Ma. 
Richie


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## SonnyE (Jan 22, 2018)

tropics said:


> I would not recommend Cod!! Cod have worms up in Ma.
> Richie



Mine only have *frozen* worms.... LOL!


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## tropics (Jan 22, 2018)

SonnyE said:


> Mine only have *frozen* worms.... LOL!



Frozen for 2 weeks makes them safe.
Richie


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## red sled (Jan 23, 2018)

Thanks everyone for your input.  

SonnyE :    Do you have any favorite places you could share for your plastic fish ?


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## atomicsmoke (Jan 23, 2018)

Does cod taste good? Yes it does, but nothing like halibut.

Turbot , also a flatfish has some resemblance to halibut taste and texture and is more affordable (at least where i live).

As for worms...assume all fish has them. I once seasoned some halibut to fry. Looked away while getting the pan and other stuff ready....looked back at the fish: worms were coming out of it.


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## cmayna (Jan 23, 2018)

Wife and I catch lots of Salmon, Halibut, Rock Cod & Ling Cod.  My favorite to eat as a regular meal is Rock Cod.  Very burnt out on Salmon unless it is smoked into Salmon jerky or nuggets.  Typically all our fish is frozen well in advance before we eat it.  This is mainly due to have previously caught fish sitting in the freezer waiting to be consumed.

But as I said above, I like Rock Cod for a regular fish meal.  Salmon comes in 2nd, unless I'm making some Salmon chowder.....yumm!


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## troutman (Jan 23, 2018)

I like and sometimes eat cod.  Turbot is excellent too.  Probably won't find that in Iowa.  If you go to Costco they often have farm raised whole rainbow trout.  Although opinions vary on farm raised, I find them to be real tasty.  You can bread and pan fry, oven bake or smoke them on your smoker.  

And although a more lowly selection, there's always catfish.  Heck, I still buy 3-4 pounds of the stuff, bread it and deep fry and the kids eat every last bit of it.

Or last resort, get in your car and drive down here to Houston.  You can travel to the Gulf and get you a whole load of fish and shrimp to bring back to your freezer !!!  We are truly blessed with seafood down here.


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## red sled (Jan 23, 2018)

Thank you for your input. 

I just came from Wal Mart.  Alaskan Flounder fillets are $4 per pound.  Cod is a bit over $4 per pound.  

Is Flounder a good fish to smoke ?


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## atomicsmoke (Jan 23, 2018)

Flounder i had tasted very good. But if it sells for less than the price for cod it could be sole.

Try it anyway...at $4/lb no one expects a halibut taste :-)


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## johnmeyer (Jan 23, 2018)

From Google:

*Bon Apetit *(click to go there)
Substitutes for halibut fillets include fluke, flounder, and turbot; for halibut steaks, you can substitute wild striped bass or cod.

*Gourmet Sleuth *(click to go there)
Substitutions include cod, turbot, dogfish, haddock OR striped bass


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## SonnyE (Feb 17, 2018)

red sled said:


> Thanks everyone for your input.
> 
> SonnyE :    Do you have any favorite places you could share for your plastic fish ?



I've tried Sams Club, and Walmart, but my absolute favorite is from the shore's of our local Costco Freezer Isle.
I'm not real picky, but I like the consistent quality I get there. Good sized portions.
I grabbed an inexpensive bag of frozen Salmon at Walmart to give it a try. I was disappointed that the pieces looking like bait, and had the skin on. I'm not real fond of paying by the pound for hide. 
Sam's Club (at least ours) is barely a step above Walmart. And understandable, it's a part of Walmart. Sep you pay to play there. Still, I really like our Sam's Club. And no where near as crowded as our Costco is, it's horrible!


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## red sled (Feb 20, 2018)

SonnyE said:


> I've tried Sams Club, and Walmart, but my absolute favorite is from the shore's of our local Costco Freezer Isle.
> I'm not real picky, but I like the consistent quality I get there. Good sized portions.
> I grabbed an inexpensive bag of frozen Salmon at Walmart to give it a try. I was disappointed that the pieces looking like bait, and had the skin on. I'm not real fond of paying by the pound for hide.
> Sam's Club (at least ours) is barely a step above Walmart. And understandable, it's a part of Walmart. Sep you pay to play there. Still, I really like our Sam's Club. And no where near as crowded as our Costco is, it's horrible!



Thank you SonnyE.  I will check out my nearest Costco when I'm in Des Moines (90 minutes away).


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## SonnyE (Feb 20, 2018)

red sled said:


> Thank you SonnyE.  I will check out my nearest Costco when I'm in Des Moines (90 minutes away).



You're very Welcome. Happy to share.
When I lived in Wyoming, we were 60 miles from town. So I empathize with long distance shopping.

Try as I might, Costco's web site cannot display the Kirkland Atlantic Farm Raised Salmon from the freezer section.
It's in a blue bag. Sorry I could not get a link for you.
Happy fishing!
(I think it runs ~$26.xx for a 3 pound bag. Cheaper than $9.98 P/pound fillets, and already packaged and frozen.)
Being frozen, take an ice chest of cold bag. It can keep your milk cool. Win-Win!


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## red sled (Mar 11, 2018)

Thank you SonnyE.  We visited Costco in Des Moines yesterday and we were impressed with the selection of fresh and frozen fish, seafood and pork/beef. Found the Atlantic salmon in the blue bag. We'll be making a list and room in the freezer before we go back. :)


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## Gwanger (Mar 27, 2018)

red sled said:


> Looking for ideas for our next fish smoking session. We really enjoy Halibut but it's pricey, so is Salmon. Tilapia is good, but we'd like to try some different fish. Since we live in small town Iowa ,USA we have a Wal Mart, HyVee, and Fareway.  Costco and the other big stores are 90 minutes away in Des Moines but we do go there occasionally.  Any suggestions for good mild fish at a great price ?  Is Cod a possibility ?   Thanks.
> 
> EDIT _    I like salmon but my wife won't eat any strong tasting fish. She likes Halibut, Tilapia, bass, crappie, etc.


fish that is highly rated to be good fish to smoke usually have a higher oil and fat content, that being said I would look for fish that have higher oil content.white flesh fish would be more apt to drying out when smoking.


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## noboundaries (Mar 27, 2018)

My Texan wife rarely eats fish. If she reads this thread, she'll never eat fish again.


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## Gwanger (Mar 28, 2018)

dls1 said:


> red sled,
> 
> When substituting one fish for another I consider 2 main qualities, texture and flavor. I then consider each quality in 3 classifications. With texture, it's delicate, moderate, or firm. With flavor, it's mild, moderate, or full. Using that methodology, I consider halibut a firm and mild fish.
> 
> Though I can't think of a fish that would be a direct substitute for halibut, grouper, snapper, walleye, and turbot would be fine alternatives. Also, I wouldn't consider cod a substitute as while it has a mild flavor, the texture is very delicate.


One fish gaining popularity, at least with me and is economical and smokes well and readily available is catfish, it is  a relativily high fat fish that is great smoked.A simple brine of equal parts of brown sugar and salt overnight, rinse well in am. dry with paper towels and ready for smoke, If she is finicky about catfish don't tell her untill she is raving about how good it was.


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## red sled (Apr 12, 2018)

I used to eat catfish all the time, well, whenever I caught some at the lake. Now we are spoiled with fish from the store. I think it's time to try catfish again. Thanks Gwanger !


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## GaryHibbert (Apr 12, 2018)

Either flounder or sole is a good substitute for halibut.  When I was commercial fishing, we ate quite a bit of sole.
Gary


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## red sled (Apr 19, 2018)

Thank you Gary !


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## Burness (Jul 19, 2018)

A man from Siapan once taught me that the strong smell, flavor and taste in salmon was found in the belly fat and black tissue of fish.  Once remove the yuck could not spread to the lovely flesh of the fish.  Works on other fish also.


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## SonnyE (Jul 19, 2018)

GaryHibbert said:


> Either flounder or sole is a good substitute for halibut.  When I was commercial fishing, we ate quite a bit of sole.
> Gary



'Cause I'm a Sole Man..."

Sorry Gary, I just couldn't resist... ;):rolleyes::D


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## Bearcarver (Jul 19, 2018)

This may only be me, but I would not use Tilapia or Cod, unless I plan on cooking it to at least 145°.
Cod seems to be the fish always mentioned when the word "Parasites" comes up.
And Tilapia, if it's foreign raised was likely raised in water closer to a sewer than water you would want fish to be from.

The parasites can also be dealt with by freezing, but it has to be for long times, and/or below the temps many home freezers are capable of.

Just my 2 Piasters,

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Jul 19, 2018)

red sled said:


> I used to eat catfish all the time, well, whenever I caught some at the lake. Now we are spoiled with fish from the store. I think it's time to try catfish again. Thanks Gwanger !




Catfish has always been my Favorite Eating Fish---including Fresh or Saltwater fish. However my favorite are caught in Spring or early Summer, and in the 10" to 16" range.

Bear


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## idahopz (Jul 19, 2018)

I like the rockfish available at Costco for about $5/lb - firm white flesh, it works equally well for fried fish or blackened with cajun spices. The price makes it very attractive for us, as well as the texture. Not really a substitute for halibut, but at 1/3 the price, it is worth it for us.


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## Gwanger (Jul 19, 2018)

Bearcarver said:


> Catfish has always been my Favorite Eating Fish---including Fresh or Saltwater fish. However my favorite are caught in Spring or early Summer, and in the 10" to 16" range.
> 
> Bear


Bear, next time you are going to eat catfish,try putting it the in smoker, you won't be disappointed since it has a high fat content it smokes well.


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## Gwanger (Jul 19, 2018)

Burness said:


> A man from Siapan once taught me that the strong smell, flavor and taste in salmon was found in the belly fat and black tissue of fish.  Once remove the yuck could not spread to the lovely flesh of the fish.  Works on other fish also.


any strong tasting flesh on a fish lies in the belly meat and along the lateral lines of the fish removing these two items improves the taste of the fish ten fold


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## phatbac (Jul 19, 2018)

A fish i have smoked with success is called Swai. its a mild fish and really cheap. last time i bought some was about $2.20/# boneless skinless filets. it has a mild flavor and takes on smoke easily and complements it well. it is available at Wal-mart here in 3# boxes. tastes good with like a Weber roasted garlic and herb seasoning or something along those lines and then smoked gently until white all over. ( about 30-45 minutes at 225). try it out if you don't like it it doesn't cost much.

Happy Smoking, (fish)
phatbac (Aaron)


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## Burness (Jul 19, 2018)

Gwanger said:


> any strong tasting flesh on a fish lies in the belly meat and along the lateral lines of the fish removing these two items improves the taste of the fish ten fold


Yep, that's exactly what I said.


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## browneyesvictim (Jul 19, 2018)

Cant stand just lurking this thread anymore! So if you will please indulge me for a moment and let me hop in here....But please read!

1. No fish is safe from parasites and other nasties, so you should always handle and prepare fish as recommended by food safety standards. Freezing is one and cooking to internal temp is the other. Period. Any less, you are taking a risk. I prefer to do both.

2. The anisakis (worms)  found in "groundfish" are VERY normal, and I guarantee every single one of you have eaten them before if you have eaten any kind of fish sticks or fish sandwich etc. See rule #1 above.

3. You can "candle" your fish by holding it up to a light to see through it. This only gets you away from the freaky visuals of a worm, but they will still be infected. Again, see rule #1.

4. Freshwater fish can still carry toxins and parasites. See rule #1

5. Beware of marketing labels. There are many practices all over that inflate prices, and fool consumers that have to do with mislabeling and how certain types of fish are mistakenly grouped together. "COD" is a good example, Rockfish" is another, just like many are aware of how different kinds of "Tuna" has gotten attention. (That is a LING COD in my avatar, and is different from other types of Cod.)

6. Choosing what fish to buy from the market is a VERY important decision! Your dollars in your wallet have the biggest impact on a MUCH BIGGER issues. Whether it is "wild caught" or "farm raised" imported, or not, and from what country of origin as well as the species of fish are important. Much of what is on the market is not in line with sustainable fishing resources, unhealthy or even sometimes illegal farming or fishing practices, etc. Economies are on the balance. My best suggestion is to educate yourself as best as you can so that you are not the typical fooled consumer by marketing labels and especially price! There are a couple of really good resource I recommend to everyone. Please print out the wallet cards or bookmark these on your smartphones when you are standing at the fish isle or fish monger.

https://oceana.org/living-blue/sustainable-seafood-guide
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/conservation-and-science/our-programs/seafood-watch
http://www.seafoodwatch.org/

As you can probably tell, this is an important issue for me and I have been involved with and researched this until my eyes have bled. Please PM or ask if you have any questions.

Erik


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## Gwanger (Jul 19, 2018)

phatbac said:


> A fish i have smoked with success is called Swai. its a mild fish and really cheap. last time i bought some was about $2.20/# boneless skinless filets. it has a mild flavor and takes on smoke easily and complements it well. it is available at Wal-mart here in 3# boxes. tastes good with like a Weber roasted garlic and herb seasoning or something along those lines and then smoked gently until white all over. ( about 30-45 minutes at 225). try it out if you don't like it it doesn't cost much.
> 
> Happy Smoking, (fish)
> phatbac (Aaron)


I avoid any farm raised fish bc conditions they are raised in overseas, some countries raise chickens above the farm fish to feed them. yuk


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## Bearcarver (Jul 19, 2018)

browneyesvictim said:


> Cant stand just lurking this thread anymore! So if you will please indulge me for a moment and let me hop in here....But please read!
> 
> 1. No fish is safe from parasites and other nasties, so you should always handle and prepare fish as recommended by food safety standards. Freezing is one and cooking to internal temp is the other. Period. Any less, you are taking a risk. I prefer to do both.
> 
> Erik




This is true, and if you look at my Smoked Fish Step by Steps, you'll see that I do both Freeze & cook to safe Temp.
However some fish are more susceptible to worms than others, Like Cod.

Bear


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## browneyesvictim (Jul 19, 2018)

You are right Bear. Those type of worms are mostly found in groundfish (bottom fish) Ling cod, Cabezon, Yellow Eye, Canary, China, Coppers, Vermillion, Greenling and the list goes on. So they can be in "Red Snapper, and any "Rockfish" and including Halibut. Its "Cod" that gets the bad wrap for them but there are many more. But even predator fish that live in the pelagic zone that eat those contaminated species carry the worms. So even Salmon can have "Cod Worms" and other types of worms as well for that matter. Farm raised salmon are even more likely to have them. Speaking of Salmon... something else we see around here is known as "tapioca disease". gross, but supposedly harmless. Just keep doing what you are doing, and chose your fish wisely. And mostly for other reasons than risk of worms.


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