Halibut; The New Chicken of the Sea

Has halibut become my chicken dish? In a word, yes. We don't serve chicken at the restaurant. It's too safe. I want people to take chances on flavors and textures that they have not experienced before. But halibut has become my chicken.

We serve California Halibut. It is caught by local boats out of the Santa Barbara Harbor. The fish that we get are so fresh that frequently, we cannot serve them because they are too fresh. That's right, too fresh. Halibut is a fish that needs to be rested for at least 24 hours after it dies. Rigamortis takes it's toll after death. Combine that with the searing heat of the sautee pan and the proteins tighten to the point that it curls like monk fish and chews like gum. It's impossible to get a good sear and it's a total pain in the ass to work with. Also, the tendency by the guest is to assume it is over cooked. But after much R & D on un-rested halibut, I can say, with confidence, that range of cooking temps does not help this condition.

It seems to be the apparent "safe" choice on the menu. At first we thought it was because it was the only fin fish we serve. Abalone being the other seafood option (abalone is a post of it's own). But after the last couple weeks of decent fishing conditions, changing water temps and the opening of the commercial rock fish season, we have started to see some other fin fish coming in. For what ever reason, they don't sell like the halibut.

The good news: This is super local, fresh fish. Halibut is more or less a blank slate and goes well with almost everything. Halibut and Pork love each other (frankly because the fish needs the fat). So, I guess in the end I will continue to serve it. There is a certain amount of this business that is just about giving the people what they want. I refuse to give them chicken. So, Halibut it is.