Prized by seafood lovers, Wild Alaskan Halibut has established its supremacy in white tablecloth restaurants from New York to San Diego. Halibut is a flatfish, from the family of the right-eye flounders. The name is derived from haly and butt, for its popularity on Catholic holy days.
Fire up the Barbeque, its summertime! Halibut’s large flakes allow it to stand up to a grill without falling to pieces. The biggest trick to grilling halibut right is to make sure you oil your cooking grate before you start. Once fish starts to stick you can get into a lot of trouble.
Marinating:
If you choose to marinate your halibut before grilling, use a mild marinade and keep the marinating time low. Strongly acidic marinades can breakdown the meat making it difficult to grill. Dry rubs and bastes work very well with halibut. Because of the mild flavor you don’t need much flavor to enhance the fish.
Timing:
The grilling time on halibut is pretty short so keep a close eye on it to avoid over cooking. A 1-inch halibut steak will grill up in about 10 minutes over a medium high heat. Thinner cuts and fillets can cook in as little time as 6 minutes. Turn once during cooking to avoid having the halibut fall apart. Keep the heat high and watch for burning.
You can tell it’s done when the meat flakes easily with a fork. Whether it’s a fillet or a steak you should be able to flake the meat apart all the way through when you serve it. Keep a fork or similarly pointed tool handy while grilling so you can test for doneness. If you have a thermometer look for a temperature of 145 degrees F. (63 degrees C.)
For any questions about recipes, or grilling tips email Chef Mike.
