It was a calm, clear morning on Resurrection Bay, near Alaska’s Kenai Fjords, 100 miles or so south of Anchorage. Jackie O and her husband, along with a boat guide named Gimpy and a handful of strangers, left port at 6 a.m. bundled up in hooded sweatshirts and jackets. For more than two hours, they traversed the icy, silver seas, winding among jagged rocks and mountains. They reached the cherished fishing spot and stopped. An hour later, Jackie O would hook her first halibut.

Despite the cockamamie way in which it swims on its side, halibut (referred to as ‘butt by hardcore anglers) possesses what you might call a classic fish shape. That is to say, it’s contoured like a paddle. A downturned mouth, Picasso eyes, and rows of brushy fins complete the picture. The largest flatfish in the ocean, halibut averages 42 inches long and 30 pounds. The largest on record weighed in at over 500 pounds.

There are various ways to catch ’butt. Some determined folk create “chum slicks” around their boats to establish “scent fields.” They unpack hooks as large as fists and attach the stinkiest, most disgusting bait imaginable — salmon or mackerel heads and guts, octopus, herring, crab, cod. Aroma, apparently, is everything. It’s recommended that fishers change their bait every 15 to 20 minutes. Those who use man-made lures or “jigs” (“Lead Heads,” “Pt. Wilson Darts,” “Zzingers,” “Dungeness Stingers,” “Spinnows,” “B2 Squids”) opt for neon-bright colors. Often, they coat said lures with rancid-smelling fish oil or paste.

Jackie O lowered her line, festooned with a rotting salmon head, into the chilly water. The end of her enormous pole was wedged snugly into the plastic belt about her waist. Jackie O is no weakling, that’s for sure, but cranking that reel even without a fish on the line was tough. Down, down, down the line went until it nearly reached the bottom of Resurrection Bay.

When the halibut bit, she felt it immediately. Firm. Alive. Daring her to raise it from the murky depths. Her pole curved and jumped against the weight of the fish. Every soul on board stopped to watch, knowing intuitively that she’d hooked a “lunker.” Gimpy stepped forward to provide assistance. For nearly 25 minutes, the two cranked: pulling up and reeling down, pulling up and reeling down. Oh, but the bottom can be a long way off. Finally, the halibut — whom we’ll call Fred — broke the surface. He was huge, five feet long and 100 pounds, yet unexpectedly docile. He flopped half-heartedly, just for effect.

The “cabin boy,” who was notably attractive, approached Fred with a sharp, curved harpoon and stabbed him through the head. He used the weapon to drag the great fish on board. Once on deck, the crew beat him with an aluminum bat. Red splattered everywhere, including onto passengers’ shirts and pants. Still, it was an exciting moment, quite unforgettable. Fred was marked with a knife and dropped through a trap door into the boat’s hold. Says Jackie O: “I quit after that. I was tired. It didn’t help that I’d taken Dramamine that morning to prevent sea sickness.”

When she returned home, Jackie O presented me with two large chunks of lovely, white Fred, which had been flash frozen. Delano and I adore halibut. It’s meaty, tender, flaky, the least fishy fish around, the pork chop of the sea. Since I hail from the Midwest where people don’t eat much seafood (mostly “jumbo shrimp,” which come breaded), Delano is the fish cook in the family. He’s mastered a nice technique that works every time. He covers the bottom of a frying pan, on medium heat, with a generous slick of olive oil. He tosses in 5 or 6 finely minced garlic cloves and about a quarter of a small onion, chopped. Then he adds two tablespoons of chopped, fresh rosemary or oregano (whichever grows in your garden). When these ingredients have cooked for 3-5 minutes, he lays in the halibut fillet, skin side down (when you flip it, the skin will easily peel off). The halibut fries for about 5 minutes on each side, or until it’s flaky and opaque. This is best served with white rice and any kind of fruit chutney.

Since we had so much fish, I came up with another recipe. It’s a colorful and scrumptious variation on fettucini Alfredo. Poor Fred. Poor, delicious Fred.

’Butt Alfredo

1/2-cup butter or margarine

1 cup heavy cream (or half and half)

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 6 -ounce. can tomato paste

1/4-cup chopped fresh oregano (or 2 tablespoons dried)

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

Salt and pepper

1 pound halibut

1 package dried fettucini noodles

Set a large pot of water to boil (add a pinch of salt and dash of oil).

Cover the bottom of a frying pan, on medium heat, with a light layer of olive oil. Add one clove of minced garlic and a teaspoon of fresh oregano (or a pinch of dried). Lay in your halibut fillet and fry until flaky and opaque (flipping every 5 minutes or so). Set the fillet aside to cool. Pull it apart, making very sure to remove any bones.

Toss your fettucini into the boiling water to cook.

In a small saucepan, on low heat, warm the butter and cream until the butter melts. Stir often. Add the parmesan and stir until cheese melts. Add the remaining oregano and minced garlic (use a garlic press if you have one; it’ll make a paste that blends nicely with the sauce). Now, crack open the tomato paste. Use a butter knife to scoop the contents into the sauce. Stir together. The sauce should be a nice consistency now, not too thick, not too runny. It will also be a lovely salmon pink color.

Add the halibut pieces and stir. Salt and pepper to taste.

Drain the noodles and arrange on four plates. Pour an equal amount of sauce atop each noodle pile.

Recipes and suggestions can be sent to vogel@whidbey.net