There are thousands of marine species in various types of seafood. When it comes to the main seafood categories, however, fish and shellfish are the two most important. Halibut is one of these fish. The largest of the flatfish, halibut is a popular white fish with firm, lean, meaty flesh and a mild, slightly sweet flavour. Steaming, baking, poaching, braising, and pan-frying are some common methods of preparation.
What Is Halibut?
Halibut is the largest of the flatfish in the Pleuronectiformes order, which also includes flounder, turbot, sole, plaice, and fluke. It's a firm, meaty fish that's extremely lean, with a mild flavour. Its flesh is bright white and is typically sold in thick fillets and steaks. It's one of the more expensive fish, with prices starting at INR 2200 per kg.
What Does Halibut Taste Like?
Halibut is a mild-flavoured fish with a slightly sweet flavour and a firm, meaty texture. It's one of the leanest fish available, with no fishy flavour.
How To Cook A Halibut?
Halibut is usually sold in fillets with the skin removed, but if they do have the skin, remove it before cooking because it is chewy. The most important thing to remember when cooking halibut is that it is an extremely lean fish that can easily dry out. As a result, smoking halibut is not advised.
Halibut is best cooked using moist heat methods such as poaching, steaming, or braising. That doesn't mean it can't be baked or grilled, but it must be done carefully so that it doesn't overcook. When cooking halibut over dry heat, aim for an internal temperature of 125 to 130 F and check it with a probe thermometer.
Varieties Of Halibut
There are three types of halibut: Atlantic halibut, Pacific halibut, and Greenland halibut, which is also known as Greenland turbot. The Atlantic version is the largest, frequently weighing 400 pounds or more. While overfishing has depleted Atlantic halibut stocks, US regulations ensure that the stocks are managed sustainably. The Pacific halibut is sometimes confused with the California halibut, but the California halibut is much smaller, weighing up to 60 pounds, whereas the Pacific halibut can weigh up to 300 pounds. The California halibut is sometimes mistaken for a flounder rather than a true halibut.
How To Store Halibut?
If you buy frozen halibut in a vacuum-sealed package, you can keep it in the freezer until ready to use. Transfer it to the refrigerator the night before you intend to use it to defrost it. Halibut that was not frozen when purchased should not be stored and should be cooked on the day it is brought home. If that isn't possible, you should definitely use it within a day or two. Freezing it is also not a good idea because, in most cases, it has already been frozen and thawed, and refreezing thawed items is one of the most basic food-safety no-nos.