Cooking with Greenland halibut
Greenland halibut provides an amazing eating experience! The fillet appears bright white on the plate with a soft, melt-in-the-mouth texture and creamy, slightly sweet flavours. If you haven't tried cooking with Greenland halibut yet, don't miss out on this versatile fish from the icy north. We will guide you to all the best tips, tricks and cooking hacks for achieving the very best result for your diners.
A little about Greenland halibut
Royal Greenland’s Greenland halibut comes from the northernmost parts of the Atlantic and Arctic Ocean, where it is caught in the oceans around Greenland, Norway and Eastern Canada offshore with trawl or inshore with line or nets. Here, it thrives in the ice-cold, clear depths of the vast fiords as well as in the open sea. The cold environment makes this large flatfish grow very slowly, which intensifies the flavour.
There is a century’s long tradition for fishing for Greenland halibut in Greenland and many small communities are dependent on it as a source of income and food during the long, harsh winter months. Greenland halibut is a renowned and well-known delicacy in Greenland and has been for centuries with good reason: the fish is versatile and easy to work with in the kitchen and the meat offers a mild and pleasant taste with a hint of sweetness.
Compared to other whitefish fillets, Greenland halibut is quite different. The meat is much more delicate and tender due to a higher content of healthy fat, much unlike cod or saithe with their flaky texture when cooked. The delicate meat also offers an unrivaled level of the healthy Omega-3 fatty acids for whitefish (fully comparable to the more well known salmon) as well as vitamin B6, vitamin D, phosphorus and selenium.
Greenland halibut in the professional kitchen
Working with Greenland halibut in the kitchen is a pleasure. It is almost impossible to overcook, it works on both a la carte and buffet and it pairs well with numerous flavour combinations. With a few tips and tricks, Greenland halibut provides an unrivaled result when it comes to serving moist, flavorful and perfectly cooked fish to you diners.
Our best cooking tips for Greenland halibut
Depending on whether you choose to work with loin, fillet or portion, we recommend different methods for cooking to get the best results. In general, we do not recommend boiling or steaming Greenland halibut because of the delicate meat structure. Be sure to remove the skin before serving Greenland halibut for a better dining experience for your guests.
Fillet or fillet portion
The fillet is in general versatile as you can use it as a whole or cut it into portions depending on your needs. The fillet is well suited as a buffet item as it is less sensitive to resting on a buffet than other whitefish because of the naturally moist meat. The fillet is also very difficult to overcook regardless of how you choose to cook it.
How to cook:
We recommend cooking at medium heat to a low core temperature in the oven. This way you keep the natural moisture, preserve the delicate flavours in the fish and avoid a mushy result.
Loin
The loin is an amazing a la carte item, perfect for fast cooking. It is easy to combine with any number of seasonal ingredients and different spices, for endless numbers of different dishes.
How to cook:
Because of the delicate meat, we recommend a Meunière breading with durum or semolina flour to seal in the moisture and protect the surface of the fish. Durum or semolina flour tends to give the most even crust because of the slightly more coarse structure in the flour.
Place the side, you wish to present to your diners with the surface down on the pan and fry the loin briefly on medium heat until the surface caramelize and turn crisp. Flip the loin, turn off the pan, and let the after heat take care of the rest. Sprinkle with flakes of sea salt before serving. This method will deliver a loin, with a crisp surface and a soft and creamy center.
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Our best suggestions for flavour pairings
Greenland halibut is the ideal fish to use when you want to explore new taste and texture combinations. It is truly versatile and welcomes a variety of different flavour combinations, from mild and fresh vegetables to heavy spices and smoky flavours.
We have tried and tested Greenland halibut with seasonal produce found across Europe and divided them into the 5 different flavour types. Use an ingredient from each flavour area to put together a truly pleasing dish and be sure to play with different textures as well to include all your customers' different senses when they dine.
Our best suggestions for serving Greenland halibut include a crunchy topping or inducing a crust when pan searing as a counterpart to the creamy fish. Crisp and fresh vegetables and a touch of lemon juice or zest gives a fresh touch to the natural healthy fats in the meat.
Another one of our favorites is the combination of Greenland halibut and smoky flavours. The heavy, smoky flavours pair exceptionally well with the mild and gentle taste of the fish. Try wrapping a loin in bacon or Parma ham or try your hands on making your own hot smoked fillet.
