Fishing Reports

Halibut spaghetti surprisingly delicious and simple

By Capt. Andy Martin – When I was running charter boats in Seward, Alaska, Capt. Skip and I shared a cabin rental just outside of town. We’d usually eat at one of the boardwalk restaurants one night, and then take turns cooking dinner the next. With a steady supply of salmon, halibut and lingcod fillets, we were able to come up with some fantastic dishes.

Capt. Andy with a trophy halibut from his days running charters boats in Alaska. The halibut weighed 375 pounds.

Capt. Skip came up with Halibut Spaghetti. It was much better than what I first expected. In fact, it is now one of my family’s favorite ways to enjoy halibut.

Halibut spaghetti is simple to prepare and is surprisingly delicious. It is a favorite of our crew and customers who have tried it.

The recipe is simple. Prepare a homemade spaghetti sauce, and simmer a few raw halibut fillets in it. After a half hour of simmering, the halibut flakes into small pieces, perfectly cooked, and giving the sauce an incredible flavor — not too fishy, but unlike anything you’ve ever had.

When I ran a lodge and charter operation in Southeast Alaska’s Glacier Bay, the captains would get together on Sunday afternoons and have a potluck. The halibut spaghetti was always a hit, and often requested by the other skippers.

Simply prepare a homemade spaghetti sauce, and then add raw halibut. Jarred sauce will also work.
Add raw halibut, and summer until halibut easily flakes apart.

There are countless spaghetti sauce recipes. Mine includes the typical blend of Italian seasonings, garlic, red wine, tomatoes and onions. Prepare your spaghetti sauce, add small pieces of halibut fillets and simmer. You know the halibut is done when the fillet easily breaks apart as you stir the sauce.

The finished halibut spaghetti sauce.
Capt. Andy with a halibut caught aboard the Miss Brooke during the 2024 season with Brookings Fishing Charters.

To learn more about our halibut fishing trips, visit www.brookingsfishing.com.

A nice load of Alaskan halibut caught aboard Capt. Andy’s boat when he ran charters in Seward.
A big Alaska halibut caught with Capt. Andy.

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