Halibut

Pacific Halibut Flavor Scale

Flavor
Oil
Texture

Back to Finfish

Pacific Halibut

Fresh Pacific Halibut is a versatile fish which lends itself to many cooking applications.  Chefs-Resources' Halibut page shows when fresh Halibut is available, what it’s flavor profile and taste is like, the butchering yield % so you can determine your yield percentage for plate costing purposes.  You’ll also find a halibut nutrition table, the Flavor Scale, and links for further halibut research.

Halibut Flavor Profile

 Halibut is a lean fish with mild, sweet tasting white flesh, large flakes and a firm but tender texture.  Because of its leanness halibut becomes dried-out if overcooked.  Frozen halibut is denser and less moist than fresh halibut and is easier to overcook.

Halibut Alternate Names

 Pacific Halibut, Alaska Halibut, Cow of the Sea

Description

 Halibut are the largest of all flounders/flatfish.  They have an average weight of 25-30 Lbs but can weigh over 600 Lbs.  Flatfish yield four fillets.

How To Fillet Whole Halibut

Here are three YouTube videos showing three different ways to break-down a whole halibut into fillets.

 

Fresh Halibut Availability

Fresh halibut availability chart: green areas show peak availability, light green show limited availability, gray indicates not available fresh.  Frozen available all year long.

 

Halibut Yield Percentage and Recovery

Item	To Skn/On Fillets	To Skn/Off Fillets	Notes
Whole Head/On gutted	56%	46%
Whole Head/Off gutted	66%	56%
Skin/On Fillets	--	80%
For detailed butchering yield % and recovery see Halibut Yield Percentage

 

Range & Habitat

Halibut are found on the Pacific Coast from northern California to the Bering Sea and from the Sea of Japan to Russia.  They spend most of their time on the ocean bottom in deep waters, but can be found in shallow water as well.

Typical Wholesale Products

 H&G, Fillets, Steaks, Loins, Fletches, Roasts

Halibut Quality Notes

Chalky Halibut

Chalky Halibut is a fairly common condition in Halibut flesh which leaves the meat white, opaque, and a little mushy.  It appears as though it has been cooked.  It cooks up soft and falls apart.  The condition is thought to occur perhaps when a fish is on the long line too long, fights too hard, and perhaps even dies during the fight.  Lactic acid builds up in the flesh and does not have a chance to release before death, which leaves the flesh more acidic.  It can take 3 - 7 days for chalkiness to reveal itself.  If you recieve chalky Halibut you should return it for credit.  The fish is not "bad" in the sense of unhealthy, but it is bad in the sense of being low quality.  In the image the filet on the right is "chalky", notice that the filet on the left has an almost transparent sheen to the flesh.  Whereas the chalky filet is white and opaque.

Frozen Halibut

Frozen Halibut is more dense and less moist then fresh Halibut.  It is easy to over cook.  the best methods for cooking frozen Halibut is breaded or battered and deep fried.

 

Halibut Nutritional Information based upon a 6 oz (171 grams) raw edible serving. * Calories/Calories from fat 189 * Protein grams 36 * Fat grams 3.9 * Saturated fat grams  .5 * Sodium milligrams  93 * Cholesterol milligrams 55 * Omega-3 grams  .9 more Halibut nutrition

 

Additional Resources:

National Marine Fisheries Service	Seafood Watch