Panko Parmesan Crusted Halibut Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook halibut so it's not tough? ›

Poaching is a cooking method that utilizes gentle, even heat to cook ingredients in a flavorful stock or liquid. When Pacific halibut is cooked gently, it's less likely to become tough. Perfectly poached Pacific halibut will be flaky and moist.

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.

When you overcook fish, it can become dry, tough, and lack flavor. Overcooked fish loses its natural moisture, which can result in a dry and chewy texture. The proteins in the fish also begin to tighten, which can make the fish tough and rubbery.

Know the Right Internal Temperature for Halibut

For a firm-but-flaky fish, shoot for a perfect medium (130 to 135°F). The center will be opaque, but not glossy or pink. If a rare, or medium-rare is more to your liking, look for temperatures around 120°F for rare and 125°F medium rare.

Before cooking, soak the fish in milk for 20 minutes

In this scenario, the protein in the milk binds with the compounds that cause that fishy odor, in essence extracting if from the fish. What's left behind is sweet-smelling, brighter flesh with clean flavor.

Halibut is notoriously difficult to grill due to its low fat content. The brining process helps solve that problem, but there are a few more tricks as well. First, don't overcook it. Halibut is best when cooked to a low internal temperature.

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.

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.

Worms in fish a common occurrence

"It happens in halibut and a lot of the bottom fish.

Why is my halibut meat mushy after cooking? ›

The fillets may ooze water and are mushy when cooked. While the cause of the condition is unknown, it is thought to be the result of nutritional deficiencies. Microscopically, there is muscle fiber atrophy and sometimes infiltration by inflammatory cells, fibrosis, and calcification of atrophied fibers.

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 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.

Broil until fish flakes easily with a fork, or internal temperature of fillet reaches 130F at its thickest part for medium doneness, about 5 or 6 minutes. Allow to cook for an extra 30 seconds to a minute, if needed, then dress with any fresh condiments or toppings for serving. Enjoy!

Dunlap suggests cutting thick, 2-inch cod fillets crosswise into 1-inch-thick pieces and cook on the cut sides. If the fillet is an inch thick, just cut the fish into 2-inch squares. “It's better to undercook cod than to overcook it, so test the fish after cooking 2 minutes on each side.

Basting. Another technique is to baste the halibut while it cooks. This involves spooning a flavorful liquid, such as melted butter or a marinade, over the fish while it cooks. The liquid will help to keep the halibut moist, and it will also add flavor and a nice glaze to the finished dish.