This one-pan wonder is a quick and elegant way to serve Pacific Halibut Cheeks, ready in under 15 minutes. Simply seared, Pacific Halibut Cheeks cook quickly and tend to leave golden bits stuck to the bottom of the pan — the perfect starter for an easy pan sauce that you can make by simply adding a splash of stock and butter to the skillet.
Pacific Halibut Cheeks with Savory Pan Sauce
February 16th, 2022A Quick and Elegant One-Pan Wonder
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Pacific Halibut Cheeks with Savory Pan Sauce
By Wild Alaskan Company
Pacific Halibut Cheeks vary widely in size, with smaller, thinner pieces being the length of your thumb. Larger, thicker pieces can be about the size of your palm. With this in mind, you’ll need to adjust cook time for any halibut cheek recipe accordingly.
Prep time
5 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Total time
15 minutes
Yield
2
Ingredients
- High-heat cooking oil (such as grapeseed)
- 1 (12-ounce) pack of Pacific Halibut Cheeks
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Flour
- ¼ cup low-sodium veggie stock
- 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
Instructions
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, add just enough oil to cover bottom of the skillet.
2. Meanwhile, use a tea towel or paper towel to pat fish dry, then lightly season both sides with salt and pepper. Dust with a fine layer of flour.
3. Once oil has begun to shimmer, carefully add halibut cheeks to the skillet and sear each side, flipping halfway through cooking. Use a fish spatula to help you flip the cheeks. Smaller pieces will only need a minute per side, while palm-sized pieces will need 2 minutes. Halibut is medium-done when it registers 120F at the thickest part of the cheek with an instant-read thermometer, or when cheek is slightly firm to the touch. Transfer cheeks to a serving platter.
4. Drain any excess oil from skillet, leaving a teaspoon or so, then return to burner. Carefully pour in stock to deglaze bottom of skillet, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Lower heat and simmer until reduced by half.
5. Remove skillet from heat and whisk in butter until just melted, then add salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over halibut cheeks and serve immediately.
Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have a certain medical condition. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F for cooked fish.
