Pecan Encrusted Halibut Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep halibut moist when cooking? ›

Baking halibut with plenty of olive oil, butter, or even in a sauce, will prevent it from drying out. 2. Poach: Try poaching delicate halibut in tomato sauce or a broth flavored with lemon and white wine, or butter, garlic, and parsley. Simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.

Some recipes for sous vide halibut recommend soaking the fish in a saltwater brine before cooking, in order to season it more deeply and to give it a denser, firmer texture.

The recommended cooking temperature for halibut by the USDA is 375°F (190°C) for approximately 10-15 minutes per inch of thickness. Internal temperature should reach 145°F (63°C) for safe consumption, ensuring the fish is cooked thoroughly while remaining tender and moist.

Brush grates with oil, add vegetables, and grill, turning a few times, 6 minutes. Add fish to grill and top with oregano. Cook fish and vegetables, turning fish once halfway through, until fish is just cooked and vegetables are charred in places and tender, 8 to 10 minutes more.

Halibut is so easy to overcook that we recommend monitoring the fillet with a Thermapen while it cooks.

Flip fish and cook until it can be flaked with a fork and is opaque almost all the way through, or until it registers between 130 and 135°F (54 and 57°C) on an instant-read thermometer inserted in middle of fillet, 3 to 5 minutes more.

We've found an easy way to eliminate the smell: Soak the fish or the shellfish meat in milk for 20 minutes and then drain and pat dry. The casein in milk binds to the TMA, and when drained away, it takes the culprit that causes fishy odor with it. The result is seafood that's sweet smelling and clean-flavored.

Mushy Pacific halibut Syndrome

Analyses of flesh samples by the State of Alaska's Fish Pathology Lab noted that fish with this condition have large areas of body tissue which are flaccid or jelly-like that is attributed to a non-infectious degenerative myopathy. The fillets may ooze water and are mushy when cooked.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not fat, rather a simple protein that is most evident on salmon and some white fish like halibut. It's called albumin and regardless of how your fish is prepared – broiled, baked or barbecued, this harmless, curd-like substance can appear at any time.

Cooking Fish

Try soaking fish in vinegar and water before cooking it. It will be sweeter, more tender and hold its shape better. When boiling or poaching fish, a tablespoon of vinegar added to the water will keep it from crumbling so easily.

What happens if you don't rinse fish before cooking? ›

Remove the scales from fish if a recipe calls for it, but leave your fish unrinsed to prevent your kitchen from becoming a breeding ground for germs.

Lean white fish like cod should be removed from the heat when it reaches an internal temperature of 135°F, while meatier white fish like halibut should be removed at 130°F to avoid moisture loss. White fish will turn from translucent to opaque when cooked through and the flesh will gently flake around the edges.

The ideal internal temperature for fish is 135-140 degrees F — this is when it's moist and flaky, but not dry yet. Be careful not to burn the sauce. My top tips for this are keep the heat low (just high enough to barely simmer), and remove the sauce from the pan quickly once it's done.

Cut the fish into 8-ounce pieces or two pieces per pound. Marinate in lemon in glass baking dish for 20-30 minutes. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle paprika over all. Bake 10-15 minutes at 450 degrees F.

The proteins in the fish also begin to tighten, which can make the fish tough and rubbery. In addition, overcooked fish can have a severe lack of flavor, as the heat causes the natural oils in the fish to evaporate.

Halibut can be expensive, so make the most of it by grilling, pan-searing and roasting. Halibut is thick and firm, so it's naturally suited to these high-heat methods. It's one of the easier white fish to flip, too.

Yes, most chefs recommend rinsing halibut with cool water before cooking it. Pat the fish dry with a paper towel when you're done.

Because Pacific halibut is such a lean species of fish, it can take on a particularly tough texture when cooked too long.

It sits on a pedestal for fish eaters and is sustainably harvested from pristine, glacial-fed waters. However, compared to other types of white fish like haddock, wall eye, blue gill, farmed tilapia, cod, or others, Alaskan halibut can be relatively expensive due to its high quality and small-boat fisherman sourcing.

It's best to slightly undercook the halibut rather than overcook it. Halibut doesn't contain much oil, so it's prone to drying out more quickly. But good news, the mayonnaise crust acts as a barrier to prevent overcooking as well!

Why is my halibut meat mushy after cooking? ›

excessive lactic acid from overexertion of fish fighting capture for several hours on longline fishing gear. Flaccid, glistening, translucent flesh typical of mushy halibut syndrome.

The biggest trick to grilling halibut right is to make sure you oil your cooking grate before you start to prevent the fish from sticking. Once the fish starts to stick, you will have a lot of trouble loosening it, and it will end up falling apart—and falling through the grill grates.

I always pat fish dry with paper towels prior to putting it into the oven. If it's very wet, squeese it with the paper towel over the sink. If breading, dip in seasoned flour, then egg, then cornflakes/breadcrumbs, spices, etc. Bake at 400 degrees farenheit.

I like my halibut moist and flaky, so I sous vide a 2-inch halibut filet for 45 - 60 minutes at 140°F. If I have 1-inch fillets, I sous vide them for 30 45 minutes at the same 140°F. Now, if you want them moister, cut down the cooking time to 30 minutes.

Using moist-heat cooking methods -- poaching, steaming, braising or baking in parchment paper or foil -- and avoiding overcooking help keep lean fish succulent and flavorful.