This simple main course pairs fresh halibut with browned bacon and a little of its rendered fat. The fish is first gently simmered in salted water, then returned to the pan with the bacon until the pieces turn lightly golden. Cut the fish evenly and keep the heat gentle so its firm flesh stays intact.
This simple main course pairs fresh halibut with browned bacon and a little of its rendered fat. The fish is first gently simmered in salted water, then returned to the pan with the bacon until the pieces turn lightly golden. Cut the fish evenly and keep the heat gentle so its firm flesh stays intact.
Step 1Keep the halibut refrigerated at or below 4°C until you are ready to cook. Wash your hands, prepare a clean board for the raw fish and keep it separate from ready-to-eat food.
Step 2Cut the bacon strips into four short pieces each. Fry in a large pan over medium heat until the edges just begin to brown. Lift out the bacon and drain off most of the fat, leaving a thin film in the pan.
Step 3Remove the skin and any bones from the halibut. Cut the fish into even chunks about 5 cm across, using a clean knife and board.
Step 4Bring the 200 mL water and 10 g salt to a gentle simmer in a pan. Add the halibut and simmer gently for five minutes; avoid a hard boil that could break the pieces.
Step 5Lift the fish from the salted water with a slotted spoon and let it drain briefly. Discard the poaching water; do not pour it into the frying pan.
Step 6Return the bacon and halibut to the pan with the reserved fat. Fry gently, turning the fish carefully, until the bacon is cooked and the fish is lightly golden.
Step 7Check the thickest halibut piece with a clean thermometer. It must reach at least 70°C; if it has not, continue frying briefly and check again.
Step 8Serve hot with clean utensils. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a shallow covered container, use within 2–3 days and reheat to 74°C. Discard perishable food left out for over 2 hours at room temperature or over 1 hour outdoors in hot weather.
Ask the fishmonger for fresh halibut steaks and remove the skin and pin bones before cutting. Keep the chunks similar in size and simmer them gently so the firm flesh stays in pieces. Drain the fish well before returning it to the bacon fat; excess poaching water can splatter. Leave only enough bacon fat to coat the pan after draining. Wash and sanitize the board, knife, pan, spoon and work surface after they touch raw fish, and use a fresh platter for serving.
Approximate per-serving estimate based on 150 g raw halibut and 75 g raw bacon. The calculation assumes about 50 g of rendered bacon fat is drained from the full pan and that roughly 15% of the salt added to the poaching water remains with the fish; the water is discarded. Bacon brands, fat drainage and salt uptake vary, so calories and sodium can differ. This is an ingredient estimate, not laboratory analysis.
Contains fish (halibut). Bacon is pork; check the package ingredient list and any allergen or cross-contact statements for the product used. Keep raw fish at or below 4°C in a sealed container on the bottom refrigerator shelf and separate from ready-to-eat food. Wash hands and clean and sanitize the knife, board, pan and surfaces after handling raw fish; do not reuse raw-fish plates for the cooked dish. Cook the thickest halibut piece to at least 70°C with a clean thermometer. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a shallow covered container, use within 2–3 days and reheat to 74°C. Discard perishable food left at room temperature over 2 hours or outdoors in hot weather over 1 hour.
No. Piece size and starting temperature vary. Check the thickest piece with a clean thermometer and continue cooking until it reaches at least 70°C.
