Pesto Grilled Alaska Halibut Steak 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.

Because this fish will dry out easily, the grilling time on halibut is pretty short. So make sure to keep a close eye on it to avoid overcooking. A 1-inch halibut steak will grill up in about 10 minutes over medium-high heat while thinner cuts and fillets can cook in as little time as 6 minutes.

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.

Grill the halibut over high heat, with the lid closed, until the flesh is opaque in the center but still moist, 6 to 8 minutes, turning once. Remove the halibut from the grill.

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.

High Mercury Levels

(7) Pacific halibut also contain a moderate amount of mercury. Consuming too much mercury can lead to mercury poisoning symptoms, such as: Metallic taste in the mouth.

The temperature for grilled halibut? Medium high heat, or 375 to 450 degrees. Medium high heat makes for a perfectly cooked piece of fish. While you can cook at high heat and then finish at lower heat, we like the ease of grilling at one temperature.

Halibut is not really a fish that you want to pair with a heavy side dish like mashed potatoes or pasta. Instead, stick to lighter side dishes like light veggies, fruits and grains.

Should halibut be at room temperature before cooking? ›

Tip: If your halibut was in the fridge, let your fish comes to room temperature for about 15 minutes before 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.

She recommends just oiling the fish, using olive or grapeseed oil to promote caramelization and prevent sticking. (We tried both methods and found that, if the grill grate is properly cleaned, oiling the fish alone did the trick. But we also found that lightly oiling the grate did not cause any major issues.)

How? Before ever putting the fish on the grill, pat the fillets dry with paper towels. Then, using a pastry brush, brush the flesh and skin sides of the fish with a thin coat of oil before sprinkling the flesh sides with salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you want.

Slices of Citrus Fruit

The most exciting technique to keep fish from sticking to the grill is to use slices of citrus as a barrier. Make uniform slices of your favorite citrus fruit and place them on the grill grates.