Halibut is the thick-cut white fish of cold oceans: restaurant steaks, butter-basted pans, and a reputation that collapses if the cook goes even two minutes too long.
Buy centre pieces with translucency and firmness. Grey watery “halibut” at a bargain price is usually a different fish or tired product.
Also called
Halibut · Flétan · Hipogloso · Heilbutt · Hippoglossus
Best cooking methods
Thick-steak grill · Butter bake · Pan roast · Gentle poach
Pacific vs Atlantic
Both are true halibut when labelled honestly. Pacific is the larger commercial volume in many markets. Ask origin. Do not confuse with Greenland turbot or cheaper flatfish sold under vague “white fish” names.
Cooking rule
Thick pieces want medium-hot heat and a rest. Thin tail pieces dry fast — save those for gentle bake. Lemon-butter, herbs, and a hot pan beat heavy batter for this fish.