How to grill halibut with a choice of sauces

Halibut is a popular white fish that is found in the cold waters of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans.

It is prolific along the east and west coasts of America where important fishing industries thrive today. Halibut is the largest of all the flat fish and can measure up to 3m long and 1m wide and weigh up to 90kg.

Halibut is available all year round. It has a mild flavour and is best when grilled or steamed. It is an expensive fish, similar to turbot, which it often substitutes in many recipes.

The flesh of the fish is firm and when cooked properly, does not lose its texture or flavour.

Halibut can take strong flavours really well, as the recipes below demonstrate.

Due to the size of this fish, it is generally sold as fillets or steaks. For the best results, season the steaks or fillets with salt and pepper, brush with melted butter or a little olive oil and cook under a hot grill for approximately 5 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the fish.

Then, simply prepare a suitable sauce to accompany the fish and serve with a fresh salad, new potatoes or grilled or steamed fresh vegetables.

As with many species of white fish in particular, halibut is very low in calories and is great if you are looking for tasty nutritional foods to form part of your diet. Halibut is rich in protein, as well as vitamins B3, B6, B9, E, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous and iodine. A 100g piece of halibut contains less than 2g of fat and it is easy to digest. It is an extremely versatile fish that you can do a lot with in a variety of recipes.

The recipe below offers you grilled halibut steaks with a variety of complementary sauces that you could choose from to accompany the fish.

Grilled Halibut Steaks Recipe

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 halibut steaks
45g (1½ oz) of melted butter
salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the grill to medium-high.
Rinse the halibut steaks under cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Season the halibut with salt and pepper.
Brush with the melted butter.
Place onto the rack of the preheated grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side, brushing the other side of the fish with the remaining butter when you turn them over.

Mustard sauce

Ingredients

300ml (½ pint) of double cream
4 tbsp of Dijon mustard
1 tbsp of lemon juice
½ tsp of caster sugar

Method

Place all of the ingredients into a saucepan and mix together with a wooden spoon.
Bring to the boil, stirring constantly.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens.
Remove from the heat and serve with the fish.

Fruit sauce

Ingredients

55g (2oz) of diced pineapple (fresh or tinned)
2 tbsp of diced red pepper
2 tbsp of freshly chopped mint
1 tbsp of finely chopped red onion
1 tbsp of lemon juice
1 tsp of honey
grated lemon zest

Method

Place all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir well.
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving with the grilled halibut steaks.

Barbecue marinade

Ingredients

2 tbsp of butter
2 tbsp of brown sugar
1 tbsp of lemon juice
2 tsp of soy sauce
2 minced cloves of garlic
black pepper

Method

Place all of the ingredients into a saucepan and cook over a medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
Coat the halibut steaks with the marinade and cook under a hot grill, basting frequently.