Halibut Cheeks
I have become infatuated with fresh halibut cheeks. They have always been around, but my discovery was recent. I learned more about this gourmet specialty from general manager at Cape Fish & Lobster in Hyannis, Ed Grygent. “Up until recently, East Coast halibut fishing was primarily limited to the Canadian side of the Atlantic, but Massachusetts just opened up. Even though we have a good portion of the East Coast halibut, the majority still comes out of Canada,” Ed points out.
When I am in the store, I order by size and know what I am getting. About a month ago I received a call they were in. Two to four small ones make a good meal for two. They are quite rich in flavor and texture. I found the meat similar to the delectable skate wing. That day, over the phone I said, “Hold me two!” When I got home the cheeks were as big as my hand, enough to feed four people! I reserved one for another meal. I asked Ed what he suggested per serving. “Traditionally it’s about eight ounces (half a pound) per person.”
Over the past several months I had the opportunity to prepare halibut cheeks in a variety of ways. They only need to be prepared with a delicious sauce or garnish. Following are some of the recipes I came up with.
When preparing the cheeks for these recipes, I always use clarified butter when sautéing. Clarified butter has a higher smoke point than regular butter and does not have milk solids that burn. The flavor is cleaner and quite different than oils.
Halibut Cheeks with Pea Purée
This preparation dresses up the delicate halibut cheeks. Before preparing the sauce, marinate the cheeks in a little milk. Mix ¼ cup of flour with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Flour the cheeks and pat them to discard any excess flour. Set aside while you make the pea purée. Sauté the cheeks in hot clarified butter (recipe follows). Serve on a bed of pea purée, garnish with fresh mint, lemon slices, and a vegetable or starch of your choice. The result? A satisfying meal.
Clarified Butter
In a small saucepan, melt 1 pound of unsalted butter very gently. Do not stir it or let it boil. Let stand 20 to 25 minutes. With a spoon remove any of the white foam from the top and discard. Pour the deep-yellow liquid butterfat into a jar with a cover. Do not use the residue that is left at the bottom of the pan. Store the clarified butter in the refrigerator — it will keep 2 to 3 weeks. It also freezes well.
Halibut Cheeks with Pea Purée
In a large saucepan bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Cook 1 to 2 minutes and drain, reserving 1 cup of liquid and ½ cup peas.
Add the peas, ¼ cup reserved liquid, lemon juice, butter, and mint leaves in a blender. Purée until smooth. Add more water as needed to achieve a thick consistency; the purée should not be too thin.
To serve, divide the puree among four warm plates. Scatter the remaining ½ cup reserved peas over the plates. Arrange the sautéed halibut cheeks on the purée or against a mound of Jasmine rice sprinkled with black sesame seeds, garnish with mint or some delicate greens and fresh or sauteed lemon slices. Serve immediately.
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