Blog

These Baked Halibut recipes are the prize winning recipes from The Dayton Herald published February 26, 1914.  Most of these recipe feature bacon.  Some of the recipes have a tomato sauce that the fish is baked with.

Mrs. Bryan’s Baked Halibut Recipe

First Prize

Get a four-pound piece of halibut, tail end preferred.  Wash, then dip in boiling water for a few minutes till the skin peels off easily; then lay in a pan and cover with cold water to which has been added one tablespoon of good vinegar to each quart; let stand fifteen minutes, then lift out and lay in a roasting pan, salt well and sprinkle with pepper; prick deeply with a large fork but do not tear the flesh; then lay five or six thin slices of bacon on the fish, pour one-half pint of water around fish and place in a moderate oven.  Make any good dressing, (plain dressing with one finely sliced onion is very good).  When fish has been in the oven forty-five minutes removed and place dressing in roaster at the large end of the fish, being careful to press away from sides of the pan.  Return to the oven and roast for thirty minutes longer, or until well done and nicely browned.  Dredge several times.  This is sufficient for a family of six or eight persons.  When lifting from the roaster be careful not to break the flesh apart.  Garnish and serve with rice or vegetables.  when serving to not use a knife, break the flesh into pieces.

Mrs. E. N. Bryan, 1145 W. Second St., Dayton, Ohio.  Source: The Dayton Herald – 26 Feb 1914

Mrs. Thomas’ Baked Halibut Recipe

Second Prize

Clean, rinse and wipe dry your fish weighing from three to four pounds, rub the fish inside and out with salt and pepper, fill with a stuffing made like that for poultry, but drier; sew is up and put in a hot pan, with some drippings and a lump of butter, dredge with flour and lay over fish a few thin slices of salt pork or bits of butter, and bake an hour and a half, basting occasionally.

Mrs. W. M. Thomas, 228 Holt St. Source: The Dayton Herald – 26 Feb 1914

Mrs. Meili’s Baked Halibut Recipe

Third Prize

Clean the fish thoroughly, wipe dry and salt inside; stuff with any kind of dressing preferred and confine by passing a coarse thread around at a sufficient number of times to hold it firmly.  When ready place in the roasting pan with a little water, sprinkle with pepper and salt and lay thin slices of salt pork on top to season it.  A good steady heat should be kept up and the fish basted until nearly done, then stop to allow the outside to become crisp and a delicate brown; the meat should be moist and delicious, not dry as fish not basted often enough and carelessly cooked will be.  A sauce can be served if one chooses, by adding a little water to the gravy in the roasting pan, thicken with a little flour, and juice of one lemon, one tablespoon of tomato catsup, salt and pepper.

Mrs. Fred Meili, 801 E. Richard St., Dayton, Ohio.  Source: The Dayton Herald – 26 Feb 1914

Mrs. Willis’ Baked Halibut Recipe

Fourth Prize

Two pounds halibut, two cups tomatoes, one cup water, once slice onion, one-half tablespoon sugar, three tablespoons butter, three tablespoons flour, three-fourths teaspoon salt, one-third teaspoon pepper.  Cook twenty minutes tomatoes, water, onion and sugar.  Melt the butter and then add the flour and stir into hot mixture.  Add salt and pepper, cook ten minutes and strain.  Clean the fish, put into a baking pan, pour around half the sauce and bake 35 minutes, basting often.  When finished baking remove to a hot platter, pour around remaining sauce, garnish with parsley and serve.

Mrs. Geo. G. Willis, 9 Quitman St., Dayton, Ohio.  Source: The Dayton Herald – 26 Feb 1914

Miss Sammons’ Baked Halibut Recipe

Fifth prize

Two pounds halibut, one cupful tomatoes, two tablespoonfuls of butter, two tablespoonfuls of flour, three-eights teaspoonful salt, one-eight teaspoonful pepper.  Clean fish, season with salt and pepper, dredge with flour, place in baking pan, pour over tomatoes and dot with butter; bake in a moderate oven, basting often.

Miss Sammons, 32 Madison street.  Source: The Dayton Herald – 26 Feb 1914

Mrs. Jones’ Baked Halibut Recipe

Sixth Prize

Wash a thick square piece of fresh Halibut, in cold water, put butter drippings, or pieces of salt pork in baking pan, lay in the fish, and bake three quarters of an hour, basting with the drippings, being careful not to let burn.  Place on hot platter without breaking the fish, and serve with tomato sauce, around it, to make the sauce for three pound fish, take a pint canned or fresh tomatoes, cook and season with salt, pepper and if wished a clove of garlic, chopped very fine, pour over and serve.

Mrs. Bessie Jones, 821 Carlisle avenue, Dayton, O.  Source: The Dayton Herald – 26 Feb 1914