Halibut the Cookbook

IntroductionHalibut is all about elegant texture, appearance, and sweet, subtle flavor. I love to tease a fillet apart into large, silky flakes. And simple is best. My favorite way to eat it is with lemon butter and a sprinkling of chives. I keep it away from the grill because it takes away some of its purity. But my feelings for halibut weren't always like this.I grew up on rectangular, frozen fish. Every Friday morning the blue High Liner box was left on the counter to thaw. Before dinner, the fillets were placed in a glass baking dish and baked. Haddock, cod, or sole looked the same, was cooked the same, and tasted the same -- "same" meaning white, overcooked, and bland. I reached for the ketchup bottle every time the plate of dry white fish appeared before me. We did have the occasional fish stick dinner, which was much better. We had no salmon, except for canned -- and certainly no halibut.I discovered halibut when I moved to Toronto, barely giving it a nod. My focus was on monkfish, tuna, squid, and whole small bony fish like red snapper, mackerel, and mullet. All things Italian had burst onto the food scene, and whole fish were the "it" fish, sizzling off the grill with fresh herbs and extra virgin olive oil. Grilled squid and firm medallions of monkfish appeared in almost every menu. Everything safe to eat raw -- there were some dubious things -- was made into carpaccio.Halibut gently nudged me when I moved to Vancouver, but it still didn't stir my heart. I barely gave it a chance and thought it was a bland fish for people who don't like fish. I was enamored with sablefish and skate. Sablefish was the bad boy who rode the Harley. Skate was edgy. If skate were human, it would have tattoos and multiple body piercings. Halibut was a sissy -- too pristine to get my attention. Though I wasn't crazy about halibut fillets, I did love the cheeks. They had what I thought was at least a shred of character.As fate would have it -- cooking thousands of pounds of it did help -- I slowly learned to love halibut's simplicity. It didn't have to be bad to be good. COOKING HALIBUTWhat to Look ForWhen choosing halibut, look for firm, translucent flesh. Halibut shouldn't smell fishy but have a mild briny scent. Avoid halibut with a chalky appearance. The flesh will be soft and stringy after it's cooked.It's rare to find whole halibut for sale. Instead, we have easy-to-deal-with steaks and fillets. Halibut fillets can be cut cleanly from the bone with a sharp boning knife.How to Store ItStore halibut (or any fish) on ice, refrigerated. Make sure that it's well wrapped and sitting on top of the ice. Use a deep container and change the ice as it melts.Halibut's season is almost nine months, so I prefer to use it fresh. The short time that it isn't available makes the heart grow fonder. If you choose frozen halibut, let it thaw completely in the fridge before cooking it.Freezing fresh halibut at home isn't recommended. The low temperature of a home freezer -- as opposed to a commercial freezer -- causes the fish to freeze slowly, creating ruptured cells. When the fish thaws, it releases more liquid because of the ruptured cells. The halibut will be dry, its texture compromised.How to Cook ItHalibut is a lean fish and not as forgiving as fattier fish such as salmon or sablefish, so timing is crucial. There are no rules for cooking time. It depends on the thickness of the fish, cooking method, and your utensils. The fillet should look moist and should feel firm but slightly springy to the touch. It's okay to check if it's done to your liking by piercing the center. A meat thermBarnaby, Karen is the author of 'Halibut the Cookbook', published 2007 under ISBN 9781552858608 and ISBN 155285860X.