Halibut is a common term predominantly applied to the two flatfish in the class Hippoglossus from the family of right eye flounders with one species native to the north Atlantic Ocean and one to the North Pacific Ocean.
Halibut, the largest of all flat fish and can also be found in East Asia and can appear in the Okhotsk Sea from northern Japan and through the Southern Chukchi Sea in the Arctic Ocean.
Halibut are demersal fish – fish that live and feed on or near the bottom of seas or lakes and are highly regarded as a food fish. Halibut can range in size – the 515-pound halibut may be the largest halibut caught yet.
Iceland is also well known for its Atlantic halibut. Currently, Atlantic halibut catches are very low so it is not surprising that a substantial part of what is caught goes to local consumption. About half of Atlantic halibut that is caught is exported fresh but the rest is frozen.
How is halibut prepared?
To marinade, the halibut is placed in a large zip lock bag with garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and left to rest in a refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven while the fish marinates.
How is halibut cooked and how long for?
Atlantic halibut can be cooked in a variety of ways, fried, baked, grilled, barbecued or boiled and is best eaten fresh. Halibut fillets are best cooked in a large skillet pan – not a ridged pan – with light olive oil or vegetable oil. The fillet should be brushed with marinade and cooked until seared, about 3 minutes per side. To bake, halibut is placed in a non– stick baking dish, halibut skin side down for about 12 – 15 minutes. Halibut becomes opaque and flakes when it is it cooked. A fork can be poked into the thickest portion of the fish to test this. It is important to be careful when cooking Halibut as it is known to dry out quickly if cooked for too long which may result in the loss of its flavour. If, for this reason, you are wanting to approach a slower cooking method, smoking or curing it is recommended. To smoke, halibut fish is placed in a smoker and left to smoke for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.
How is halibut served?
A classic way of serving halibut is with a simple sauce with greens – beans, broccoli or spinach are amongst the favourites - and a fresh lemon butter sauce. It is a very popular fish among chefs as it holds flavour well and has a very firm meaty flesh. A range of recipes are available for halibut including main course meals, snacks and starters. What does halibut taste like and how much it is? The fish has a mild sweet tasting flesh with a tender texture. It is lean and flaky when cooked correctly and can be bought for about £24 - £28 per kg.
Halibut fish recipes
