Baking Halibut

I just cant seem to get it right. I guess I must just be over cooking, but it always seems to turn out too dry. Tonight I tried wrapping it in foil thinking that would help keep the moisture in. Cooked for right at 30min and............you guessed. Overdone again.

You guys got any secrets you'd be willing to share to ensure your halibut comes out moist and flakey like it should? I hate ruining good halibut.

30 minutes at temperature is too long for any fish IMO.

I don't bake it, I grill it, and it turns out pretty damn good with this recipe.

1 clove garlic, minced
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 whole lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 (6 ounce) fillets halibut

1. In a stainless steel or glass bowl, combine garlic, olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and parsley.
2. Place the halibut filets in a ziplock bag, and pour the marinade over the fish. Cover or seal and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour, turning occasionally.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate. Med-high on my grill....Set grate 4 inches from the heat.
4. Remove halibut filets from marinade and drain off the excess. Grill filets 5 minutes per side or until fish is done when easily flaked with a fork.

Yep, that's the one! MReyns and B-Rad brought down a fresh PA 'butt , the whole thing...and we cooked it up over an open fire..
Doesnt get much better than that!

Best halibut ever!

droooooooolllllllllinnnnnnngggg

Thanks for the help Sky-guy & Chuck, 'preciate it!!

It really doesn't matter what recipe you have. If you overcook it, it's pretty much ruined...which really goes for any fish. Fish (or any meat for that matter) will continue to cook after you take it out of the oven or off the grill, so I've found that if you wait until it's completely done, it's too late. Better if it's ever so slightly rare in the middle, then take it off the heat, cover with foil and wait 5 to 10 minutes to let it continue to cook through.

If all else fails...beer batter it and fry it.

Any fish worth putting on the barbeque, 10 minutes TOTAL cooking time per inch of thickness tops.

Pull it off the heat med rare, let rest for a few minutes, and it physiologically finishes cooking to a juicy medium.... just barely becoming opaque in the middle.

If the fish has been frozen, the cells are dead, and the meat will not readily "finish" as described... tends to stay underdone in the middle. If you cook the middle thoroughly the rest is overcooked. Just one of the unavoidable culinary perils of freezing perfectly good FRESH fish. Better to keep the pieces thinner so its easier to cook it more evenly full thickness.

A couple of thoughts:

A chef at a lodge showed me a great method. He heats oven to 350, then breads the halibut , fries it VERY hot, waaaay to hot to allow complete cooking, when nicely browned on outside, but still not done toss in preheated oven till done. - About 145. Get an instant read thermometer to be certain of the temp.

Try my always great breading. Dip damp fish in seasoned flour, then in egg wash, then in well crumbled Tim's jalapeño chips. Fry, enjoy. Simply marvelous.

To help keep breading from falling off while cooking, bread the fish an hour or so before cooking and store in fridge, it helps temper the breading.

You guys hit the nail on the head, I constantly have to remind my guys to not overcook the fish. I actually like to start the fish on the broiler then, pop it in the steamer for a few minutes to finish it off. Keeps it extra moist. Of course we have a commercial steamer that cooks it fast.

If you want to bake it, try putting it in a marinade first, like Johnny's "Jamaica mistake", top that with a few sauteed onions and it make a great dinner.....with of course, white rice.
Damned Asians !


Steve

Damn right Mr. Ng.

DV. I'm gonna try Tim's Jalepeno Chips later this week. Sounds good. Will try the tempering the breading trick too. Thanks.

If your frozen fish aren't vacuum packed correctly it will dry out and poke a hole in the bag when you thaw the fish, that will keep the juices from being pulled out of the fish as it thaws.

Please report back. I have doen this many times, and always get rave reviews.

I really like cedar-plankin the halibut on the grill too, I think it helps retain it's moisture and it's off when it gets to 145 degrees.....we just marinade the fish in olive oil, Johnny's Seafood seasoning, and a squirt of lime juice for a couple of hours first.

the turkey and swiss I brought for lunch is not sounding so good all of a sudden.

For baking use any seasoning you like. The recipe above looks like a good one!! For temp I go 400 for 15 min, uncovered. I lil chicken steak will just be done, thicker steaks will take a minute or 2 more. Just until the clear stripe in the center is gone, I now pull it off the heat and let it rest on top of the stove when I can still see a little stripe. It has taken plenty of less than perfect Hali dinners to get it down.

Hey Dave, what would you say the chances are that this little trick of yours might work well with a batch of still-wiggling razor clams this weekend? We are highly motivated to try it, thanks!

Baking fish: 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. per inch of thickness. With fish, it's alwyas better to undercook by two minutes than to overcook by one.

Sg

I have tried Daves little trick with ritz crackers also and gives a great buttery flavor.

Never did razors that way, but should be great. When's dinner. I will be in the area . . .

For salmon I would not do it unless its pink, chum or some salmon thats not primo. Otherwise I like salt pepper and butter.

We'll be up in Ocean City Dave, prolly a bit much of a commute to share a sun-over-the-yardarm with ya! But we'll definitely raise a toast in your honor if them Cascade chips are da bomb

Essentially that's how my better half does Butt and even steaks. Preheat oven to 350. Prepares halibut, we do a half & half mixture breading of Progresso Italian Cracker Crumbs and Parmesian cheese. High heat a stove top burner, put on a square cast iron fry pan, dab of REAL BUTTER, brown one side, flip halibut, and transfer to oven for finishing. Time is dependent on fillet thichness, Butt the ones we get from Costco are an inch thick and are usually done (internal thermometer temp of 130 - 140) in 15 minutes. The other fish breading we use for walleye, Butt, or even salmon, is equal parts of brown sugar and cajun blackening season. But be forewarned that receipe smokes a lot butt is very nummy.

I used Dave's method on some catfish he brought from Brownlee Reservoir on a trip I missed last year.

It is a superb method.

I don't think I'd use it on salmon though.

It would be tough to find anything that is better for white flesh fish like, catfish, halibut, lings, rockfish, walleye.

+1

To many people "over cook"....makes it tough and dry !!!!!!

I cedar plank halibut or salmon in the Bar BQ. Might be worth the try if you like smoke flavored fish.

Halibut in foil @ 350 for 15 minutes,no more.If not done then let rest like said above.Ritz crackers hit with a rolling pin for baked razors rock.I will never deep fry another razor in my life after having the recipe from 104.7 rock of the coast.Flour/egg wash and ritz cracker crumbs with melted butter drizzled over them bake @ 500 for 3min per side then done easy clean up and prep.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM...

I'd like a plate of baked halibut right now.. Anyone want to trade fresh halibut filleted/vacuum sealed for fresh spring chinook filleted/vacuum sealed this year?

I'm down for some trading... 1 pound of springer for 2 pounds of halibut, sounds about fair right...

Keith

This one is close to Sky's

garlic minced
olive oil
sea salt
ground black pepper
red pepper flakes
2 limes juiced
1 large orange juiced
1 hand full celantro chopped

same marinade and cook time

Dam,now I'm hungry "Again".Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE


Keith, Big C springers are the best,but come on here pound for pound here,Really.