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Beer Battered Halibut
-Ingredients-
1 Cup Bisquick
1 Egg
4 - 6 ozs Beer
2 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs
1.5 lbs Wild Alaskan Halibut
Frying Oil (Canola, Vegetable etc.)
-Preparation-
1. Thaw halibut, remove skin, and cut into 1x1 inch chunks. Thawing can
be accelerated by immersing fish in warm (not hot) water. Puncture
vacuum sealed packages prior to thawing.
2. Combine 1 cup Bisquick and 1 egg in medium sized bowl. Whisk in beer
until batter is consistency of thin pancake batter.
3. Dip halibut chunks in batter, coat with Panko, then deep fry in 350
degree oil for 3 to 3.5 minutes. Try a test piece before doing the whole batch.
When done, the meat will turn opaque and "flake" as it is pulled apart.
4. Serve with tartar sauce, or combine ketchup and ground horseradish in a
bowl to create a homemade "red-sauce."
-Capt. David's Unwanted Culinary Commentary-
Beer is not sold in 4 ounce bottles. The type doesn't really matter. Some
say dark, some say light. Buy a six pack of your favorite. Drink 5 and a
half, and save the last six ounces. If you forget to save that last half,
substitute water.
For a nominal fee, the fish processing place will skin the fish before packing.
After skinning the fish, make sure you remove the brown "fatty" layer
which lies between the fillet and the skin. This brown-ish grey fat contains
the oils that make fish taste, well..., like fish....
If you don't puncture the vac-pac bag before thawing, it will continue to
press down on the fish and squeeze the juices out as it thaws.
Coating the fish in Panko is easiest with the "shake and bake" method. Fill
a Tuperware container with Panko, add battered fish, and shake until
pieces are evenly covered. Panko is a "Japanese" bread crumb and is likely
found in the Asian foods section of your grocery store. No one seems to
really know what makes certain bread crumbs Japanese, but they exist, and
there is a difference.
I've seen people fry beer-battered fish for up to half an hour. Don't do it.
If using 1 inch chunks, then 4 minutes tops, though it is usually done in
three. Set a kitchen timer when you immerse the chunks in the oil to
ensure that you do not leave it for too long. A more convenient alternative
to the conventional deep fryer is to add an inch of oil to an electric skillet
and fry in there. You'll have to flip the fish, but it saves a lot of oil.
Turkey fryers also work well if cooking for a large group.
Batches of fish can be placed on a cookie rack or paper towels in the oven to
stay warm until ready to serve. Keep oven on lowest heat setting to avoid
overcooking the fish.
This recipe is great with any white-meat fish. Lingcod are more moist than
halibut, and thus harder to overcook. This makes lingcod the preferred fish
of many beer battering conniseours.
Try the homemade red sauce. The recipe is simple, but very good.
Squeeze out a 1/2 cup of ketchup and add horseradish until it's just about
to be too hot, around 2 TBSP. Avoid the horseradish sandwich spreads as
they usually have added mayonnaise which throws things off. I look for
the Beaver Brand "Extra Hot" grated horseradish.
Grilled/Oven Baked Salmon
-Ingredients-
1 Wild Alaskan Salmon Fillet (King Salmon is the Captain's choice for grilling)
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1 TBSP Lemon Pepper
2 TBSP Minced Garlic
1 Lemon
-Preparation-
1. Thaw and rinse Salmon Fillet. Make a cut every 4 inches along the
length of the fillet. Cut should penetrate about halfway through fillet.
2. Heat grill to medium heat or oven to 375 degrees.
3. Combine olive oil, lemon pepper, and minced garlic in small dish. Cut
lemon into wedges and set aside.
4. Lay fillet skin side down on a piece of aluminum foil (Leave enough foil
to fold it over-top of the fish while cooking.) Brush or spoon an even
coating of the olive oil mixture onto the fish.
5. Fold foil over top of fish and grill or bake until meat becomes opaque and
"flakes." A fillet from a 15 lb salmon will take 20-30 minutes depending on
how hot your grill is. DO NOT OVERCOOK. After 20 minutes, check the
fish every 5 minutes to test for doneness. The pieces along the belly and
tail will cook more rapidly than the thick shoulder, and may need to be
removed early. Serve with a lemon wedge.
-Capt. David's Unwanted Culinary Commentary-
Many like to add sliced onions and lemons to the foil packet while cooking.
Making slices in the fillet help it to heat and cook more evenly.
There is no such thing as "slow and low" when cooking fish. Don't you
dare put a piece of fine Alaskan fish in the oven for 2 hours at 325......
Learn what it looks like when fish "flakes," and never cook it past that point.
Fish are born tender. Fish die tender. They have no tendons, no sinew,
and no gristle, so cooking it for a long time will not create better table fare.
It will, however, dry it out. And will also enhance the dreaded "fishy" taste.
When folding the foil over the top of the fish, try to make an airtight seal.
This allows the fish to steam itself and minimizes moisture loss.
The belly pieces contain the most oil, and since it will also generally finish
cooking first, this part of the fillet will rarely survive the trip to the dinner
table. "Cook's privileges," my mother would say...
Halibut Tacos With Salsa Fresca
-Ingredients-
1.5 lbs Wild Alaskan Halibut
1 TBSP Cumin
1/2 TBSP Lawry's Seasoning Salt
1/4 Cup Salt
Juice of 1 Fresh-Squeezed Lime
1 Onion (Diced)
1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro (Finely Chopped)
1 15oz Can of Petite Diced Tomatoes (well-drained)
2 TBSP Olive Oil
Taco Shells or Tortillas
-Preparation-
1. Combine chopped cilantro with diced onion, tomatoes, and lime juice in
a medium bowl. Add salt to taste and more lime juice if necessary. Set
salsa aside while preparing the rest of the meal.
2. Season fish with cumin and Lawry's and pan fry in olive oil at medium
heat until meat turns opaque and fish "flakes." (10-15 minutes) Place taco
shells in oven at 375 degrees for ten minutes to crisp.
3. Transfer fish to serving bowl and break apart with a fork. Scoop fish
into taco shells or warmed tortillas and cover with salsa.
-Capt. David's Unwanted Culinary Commentary-
Make sure you get Cilantro and not Parsley. They look quite similar and
are usually right next to each other in the produce section. Parsley salsa is
a wretched thing. Check that label. Check that label twice.
Salt plays an important role in this recipe, don't skimp. The salt helps to
soften the cilantro leaves and onions, and makes the lime juice "pop." The
salsa will taste like mashed tomatoes if you don't get enough salt (and lime
for that matter) in there.
This is one of the rare instances in which you can overcook the fish and still
have it come out somewhat OK. Some actually prefer the fish slightly
overcooked to dry it a bit. Using a lid while frying the fish helps it cook
faster, and makes it easier to break apart.
I know someone will write to me complaining about this salsa not being
hot enough, so here it is: Chopped Jalapenos can be added to taste.
Rockfish are a popular substitute for halibut.
In the world of fish tacos, a hard shell tastes much finer than a soft one.
Grilled Halibut
-Ingredients-
1-2 lbs Wild Alaskan Halibut
1 Onion (sliced)
1/2 TBSP Lemon Pepper
1/2 Lemon (sliced)
-Preparation-
Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat. Skin halibut and lay on a large piece of
aluminum-foil. Sprinkle on lemon pepper and cover with sliced lemon and
onion. Fold aluminum-foil over fish and crimp edge to make a sealed
"pouch" around the fish. Place pouch on grill seam-side-up and cook with
the grill lid on. Small pieces of fish should be checked after about ten
minutes, and most will be fully cooked in 15-20 minutes. The pouch does not
need to be turned over at any time. Fish is done when it "flakes."
-Capt. David's Unwanted Culinary Commentary-
Cooking times can vary immensely on this dish due to variances in grill
temperature and the thickness of the fillet you're preparing. Check after ten
minutes and be vigilant in checking at least every 5 minutes after that. It's
fine to open the "pouch" to check the fish, but re-seal it the best you can if it's
not done. Cooking in the pouch keeps the fish moist. It is very easy to dry
halibut out if it's just thrown onto the grill. I prefer to serve with tartar sauce
and lemon wedges.
Halibut Sandwiches
-Ingredients-
1-2 lbs Wild Alaskan Halibut
1/2 Cup Tartar Sauce
1/2 TBSP Lawrys Seasoning Salt
1 TSP Garlic Salt
4-8 Slices American Cheese
4-8 Sesame Seed Buns (toasted)
1 Tomato (sliced)
1/2 Onion (sliced)
Bread & Butter Pickle Slices
Butter
-Preparation-
Heat frying pan or electric skillet to medium-high heat. Season halibut to
taste with Lawrys and garlic salt. Skin fish and cut into "bun" sized portions,
then fry in olive oil until fish can be flaked with a fork (around 10 minutes).
While fish is cooking, slice vegetables and butter both sides of buns. Toast
buns in separate skillet or under broiler. Add cheese to fish during the last 2
minutes of cooking(cover to expedite melting). After toasting, give buns a
generous coating of tartar sauce on each side, add fish, and garnish with
pickle, onion, and tomato.
-Capt. David's Unwanted Culinary Commentary-
Lets cut straight to the chase here, you're making a cheeseburger out of fish.
A fishwich. Even my roommate in college had this dish under
control(though barely). These sandwiches turn out best with fresh-that-day
halibut of the smallest variety you(or Mother Nature) can will you into
keeping. "Medium-high heat" means around 375 on an electric skillet or
about a 7 out of 10 on a typical stove top. The halibut itself won't have a
whole lot of flavor when prepared this way, so sufficient tartar sauce is
needed to give the sandwich some life. The pickles wake things up as well.
Don't pass this recipe up, it's quick and easy to make, and has been a
traditional "after fishing" dish for many years.
More Recipes Coming Soon:
-Halibut Enchiladas
-Smoked Salmon
-Spicy Salmon Sushi Rolls
-Halibut Spread
-Poor Man's Lobster
-Halibut Ceviche
-Jalapeno & Bacon Wrapped Halibut
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