Halibut and sablefish are two very different wild fish species harvested from the North Pacific ocean. Their availability usually occurs together since their harvest seasons run concurrent with one another. If your reading this then maybe you are one of the fortunate who will soon be enjoying the newly caught seasonal best tasting halibut and sablefish of the 2011 spring/summer catch. Otolith sources sustainably harvested halibut and sablefish from small low environmental impact harvesters and sells direcly to our market via Community Supported Seafood, CSS. CSS Enrollment Form
Halibut vs. Sablefish
Meat color: white vs. white
Omega 3's: 2.0g vs. 13.0g
Raw Texture: smooth vs. silky
Cooked Texture: firm vs. buttery
What does all of this mean to you? It means that you must be careful not to over cook your halibut or else the delicious delicate flavor of the fish will dry out and the valuable omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids you want will depart your halibut along with its moisture if you over cook it. It also means that if you want a suple and flakey cooked sablefish fillet then it you have to add some salt and acidity to your recipe for sablefish before cooking and not add salt or acidity to your halibut until after it has been cooked. These two different fish make two very delicious additions to any meal.
Halibut should be cooked hot and fast and always allowed to rest for two minutes before serving. Hot means 400-450 degrees. Fast means 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Remember that thinner fillets will be easier to handle and cook because they will cook faster. Thicker fillets shouls be seared in a hot oven safe caste iron skillet for three minutes on each side before being finished in a 400 degree oven for the remaining time necessary. Ex. a 1 1/2 inch fillet of halibut will pan sear for 6 minutes total, bake for 9 minutes, and rest for 2-3 minutes before serving. So I recommend, thaw your fillet of halibut and set your complex carbohydrates to cook while it thaws. In the meantime prep your fresh vegetables or salad. And when everything is ready, cook your fillet of halibut and when it is ready to rest for 2-3 minutes then dress the salad or vegetables before serving the entire meal together.
Sablefish likes to be marinated. The marinade is a great place to encorporate the salt and acidity this white fish craves to bring out its best flavor and texture. I usually cook sablefish directly in its own marinade and braise it in a preheated 350-400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Thinner fillets cook best at 350 and thicher than one inch generally at 400 degrees. When selecting your mainade ingredients use the theme of your meal to create a coordinating marinade recipe. For Asian inspired try sake and miso or orange juice, grated ginger and soy sauce. For a Mediterranean style use lemon and sea salt. My personal favorite is left over white wine and sea salt which goes with almost anything and tastes great. Remember to dilute your acidic liquid with a 1/4 c. of water. The marinade should only come half way up the side of the fillet and not drown your sablefish in liquid so select your pan size accordingly. Owing to its complex flavor, sablefish makes a great accompanigment to very hearty vegetables such as beets, collards, chards, and mushrooms or fresh summer vegetables such as new tomatoes, squash and onions. This is one of the best fish out there.
Halibut vs. Sablefish
Meat color: white vs. white
Omega 3's: 2.0g vs. 13.0g
Raw Texture: smooth vs. silky
Cooked Texture: firm vs. buttery
What does all of this mean to you? It means that you must be careful not to over cook your halibut or else the delicious delicate flavor of the fish will dry out and the valuable omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids you want will depart your halibut along with its moisture if you over cook it. It also means that if you want a suple and flakey cooked sablefish fillet then it you have to add some salt and acidity to your recipe for sablefish before cooking and not add salt or acidity to your halibut until after it has been cooked. These two different fish make two very delicious additions to any meal.
Halibut should be cooked hot and fast and always allowed to rest for two minutes before serving. Hot means 400-450 degrees. Fast means 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Remember that thinner fillets will be easier to handle and cook because they will cook faster. Thicker fillets shouls be seared in a hot oven safe caste iron skillet for three minutes on each side before being finished in a 400 degree oven for the remaining time necessary. Ex. a 1 1/2 inch fillet of halibut will pan sear for 6 minutes total, bake for 9 minutes, and rest for 2-3 minutes before serving. So I recommend, thaw your fillet of halibut and set your complex carbohydrates to cook while it thaws. In the meantime prep your fresh vegetables or salad. And when everything is ready, cook your fillet of halibut and when it is ready to rest for 2-3 minutes then dress the salad or vegetables before serving the entire meal together.
Sablefish likes to be marinated. The marinade is a great place to encorporate the salt and acidity this white fish craves to bring out its best flavor and texture. I usually cook sablefish directly in its own marinade and braise it in a preheated 350-400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Thinner fillets cook best at 350 and thicher than one inch generally at 400 degrees. When selecting your mainade ingredients use the theme of your meal to create a coordinating marinade recipe. For Asian inspired try sake and miso or orange juice, grated ginger and soy sauce. For a Mediterranean style use lemon and sea salt. My personal favorite is left over white wine and sea salt which goes with almost anything and tastes great. Remember to dilute your acidic liquid with a 1/4 c. of water. The marinade should only come half way up the side of the fillet and not drown your sablefish in liquid so select your pan size accordingly. Owing to its complex flavor, sablefish makes a great accompanigment to very hearty vegetables such as beets, collards, chards, and mushrooms or fresh summer vegetables such as new tomatoes, squash and onions. This is one of the best fish out there.
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