ROCKPORT — Ken Dodge, of Rockport, is no stranger to early mornings. He lobsters out of Rockport Harbor, but Thursday he was getting ready to go out for halibut on his boat the Becca & Meagan. Halibut started running May 1. The season for fishermen is from May 1 to June 30.

“Sometimes we get one, sometimes we get two and sometimes, we don’t get anything,” he said. “We don’t really like to say how many we catch. The fish has to be 41 inches to be legal and we have a stick 41 inches long we measure by. We had to release one the other day. He was only 38 inches long and we had to let him go.”

The Atlantic halibut is the largest of the bottom-dwelling flatfish that range from Labrador to southern New England. Halibut is a low-fat, low-calorie fish and a good source of selenium and Vitamin D. The fish is lower in omega-3 fatty acids than other fish. The flakey white meat cooks up quickly and tender with a non-fishy aroma and is good grilled, pan fried or baked.

A 41-inch fish is around 10 years old and can weigh 28 to 32 pounds. Fishing is one thing, but getting a good price for them at the market is another when you try to sell your catch. Dodge sells his catch locally.

“Right now the price is running $10 per pound for the whole fish,” said Dodge. “The market for them is okay. You can catch them, but getting a top dollar for it is the trick. It’s a top-quality fish, so we want to get a top dollar for it. You don’t make a lot of money doing it, but we have a lot of fun.”

Expect to pay $14 to $17 per pound for fresh halibut in the local market. The Atlantic halibut population was considered over-fished not long ago, but over-fishing is not occurring now and the stock is subject to a long-term rebuilding plan. Dodge said weather doesn’t really affect the fishing.

“A foggy day like today doesn’t really make a difference, but the tide can,” he said. “Higher tide and the hooks have a tendency to stay off the bottom and you fish for halibut on the bottom. You don’t catch them all. We had three hits on the lines the other day and lost all three before we got them up into the boat. I’ve caught lobsters, rocks and ghost traps instead of halibut, too.”

Dodge sets a weight on each end of the line to hold it and use a GPS to mark it, so they can come back to it easily. There’s no need to bait the hook.

“Anything shiny works,” Dodge said. “They’ll eat just about anything. I’ve cut them open and found lobster and crabs in there. They’re scavengers on the bottom, so they’ll eat just about anything that comes along. They have pretty big mouths.”

Last winter, Dodge spent the colder months building a new boat. He has been fishing since he was a litte boy.

Here are a couple of recipes for halibut from the Wolf Test Kitchens. First is quick and easy, pan-fried? The second is for baked halibut and requires a little more time. There is no need to be creative. Halibut is excellent when done in just a little butter with salt and pepper. Try it on the grill for an additional flavor level.

Pan-Fried Halibut with a Mexican Salsa (serves four)

You will need:

Four fresh halibut fillets 4 to 6 ounces each

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

One lemon

White wine

½ cup fresh Cilantro

1 Tbl fresh chopped garlic

1 cup corn

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced red pepper

1 cup fresh Mango pieces

Juice of ½ lime

¼ tsp cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

In a small sauté pan heat to medium high and add some oil. Add onion and sauté until almost done. Add red pepper and sauté one minute. Add corn and sauté an additional minute. Add garlic, lime juice, cumin and mango pieces. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix and cook until mango is just warmed. Set aside.

Rinse your fillet and pat dry with a paper towel. It is very important that the fillet is dry. To each fillet put a splash of white wine and squeeze the juice of ¼ lemon. Add salt and pepper.

In a large sauté pan add oil and heat to medium high. Place fillet in pan skin side down. Let cook for six minutes. Do not try to move fillet once set in pan. It will appear to stick, but will release when bottom is ready to turn. Flip over and cook an additional two minutes. Cooking time my vary with the size of your fillet.

Serve with a vegetable of your choice. Roasted new red potatoes or rice works well. Lay your cooked fillet on the plate and top with the salsa. Garnish with a sprig of fresh cilantro.

Baked halibut in foil or En Papillote (serves two)

En Papillote is a culinary term meaning wrapped in paper, parchment paper to be exact. It stems the ingredients, as well as bakes them. You don’t have to get this elaborate unless you’re really trying to impress your guests and simple foil works just fine. Halibut steaks also work better than fillets for this particular recipe.

You will need:

Two 6 – 8 ounce Halibut Steaks

1 tomato

Olive oil

Lemon juice

1 Tbl Fresh Basil

1 Tbl Fresh Chopped Parsley

¼ tsp Onion powder

¼ tsp Garlic powder

Salt & Pepper to taste

Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lay out two pieces of foil large enough to hold the steaks and make a tent when folded. Place a small amount of Olive Oil on the bottom of the foil. Place a steak on each piece of foil in the center of the oil.

Squeeze the juice of ¼ fresh lemon onto the steak. Sprinkle with onion and garlic powder and lay a fresh sprig of basil on each. Top with two tomato slices and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste and add a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley.

Fold the foil up over the steaks to form a tent and crimp the edges together. Place on a baking sheet or in a baking pan and place in oven. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until fish is done. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your fish.

Remove from oven and let cool five minutes. You can either remove from foil and plate or simple lay the foil on a plate and let your guests unwrap.

If you decide to use the paper method look here: http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2012/05/cooking-with-parchment-paper.html

It’s a quick guide to folding the paper that is very romantic when unwrapped.

Bon appétit!