Halibut cheeks

[elfin]

While in Alaska we bought some halibut cheeks. I broiled them last night in a simple burre-blanc sauce. They were delicious. The consistency was more flakey than a halibut steak. Since I have some more in my freezer (vacumed packed) I thought that something more special can be done with them . Any suggestions?

[mikeczyz]

Back in alaska, my mother used to steam them, then give them a light sauce with oil infused with garlic, green onion, and ginger. Really good

mike

[Jim Dixon]

At Paley's Place here in Portland the cheeks were stuffed into cabbage leaves and served alongside braised oxtail...the chef's notion was to pair the stringy fish (the big cheeks are like scallops in texture) with the stringy meat.

it was very good...

Jim

[Steve Plotnicki]

Cod cheeks are great too.

[Kent Wang]

Would you describe the flavor as being any different than the fillets? I feel that it is much more mild.

[jamiemaw]

The halibut is absolutely prime right now - and plentiful. And yes, there are a lot of unsmiling ones right now.

Last night we enjoyed halibut fillets underscored with a light curry sauce finished with heavy cream.

But several times we'll cook cheeks in a brown butter sauce with capers.

[budrichard]

Bread your cheeks (Halibut) with honey Panko flakes and fry in a neutral oil. Throw some giant salt cured capers in at the last monemt and serve with lemon wedges. -Dick

[fud]

Bread your cheeks (Halibut) with honey Panko flakes and fry in a neutral oil. Throw some giant salt cured  capers in at the last monemt and serve with lemon wedges. -Dick

←

Oh that's brilliant! We tried poaching them in olive oil and some basil but the basil is WAY too strong. We also tried steaming them in a slightly acidic citrus steam bath but the cheeks didn't have much flavour (am i cooking them too much?).

I need to work more with this medium. I know they can be SO good I just need to figure out how!

[GourmetLight$]

While in Alaska we bought some halibut cheeks.  I broiled them last night in a simple burre-blanc sauce.  They were delicious.  The consistency was more flakey than a halibut steak. Since I have some more in my freezer (vacumed packed)  I thought that something  more special can be done with them .  Any suggestions?

←

I'm originally from Alaska, and always have my halibut cheeks deep fried in beer batter. Yummy, and a hard habit to break to make them any way else! Dip cheeks in Wondra flour, seasoned with a little Old Bay, and shake off the excess. Then mix Wondra flour and enough warm beer (an ale is good) to make what looks like a pancake batter. Then dip the cheeks into the batter, again shake the excess, and drop in oil at about 350 degrees till golden brown. Serve with homemade roasted onion tartar sauce, or good old Malt Vinegar or Balsamic Vinegar.

Cheers,

[chef koo]

coat them with corn starch. deep fry or pan fry. get some garlic and black bean sauce in a pan with some chinese cooking rice wine. bring to a boil and thicken with corn starch. pour over the halibut cheeks

[jtcookie]

Halibut cheeks are a family favourite chez nous and make it to the table in a number of guises. The kids love a panko-breaded pan fried version, so long as there is a bowl of tartare sauce on the side. If you keep the cooking time to a minimum, the flesh remains tender and sweet. I treat the adult version a number of ways; evoo-marinated and fire-grilled on a brochette, thin sliced and given a flash meuniere treatment with brown butter, lemon and capers, or, in conjunction with other seafood, matelot style. They perform similarly to monkfish when used this way, absorbing the predominant flavour of say, prawn or lobster, whilst augmenting the textural aspect of the stew. Best of all? - in combination with scallops poached in butter and dunked into a cream saffron sauce. Nirvana!

John

[GourmetLight$]

While in Alaska we bought some halibut cheeks.  I broiled them last night in a simple burre-blanc sauce.  They were delicious.  The consistency was more flakey than a halibut steak. Since I have some more in my freezer (vacumed packed)  I thought that something  more special can be done with them .  Any suggestions?

←

Just received an email from a local restaurant announcing the fresh Alaskan Halibut they've received, and one of the dishes sounded like something you might like:

Scott's Bar and Grill has gone to great trouble to secure a small allotment of fresh Alaskan Halibut Cheeks from Southeast Alaska. We’ll be serving them lightly breaded in Parmesan and Asiago, carefully pan seared golden brown and finished with just a drizzle of White Truffle Oil Beurre Blanc.

Cheers,

[scubadoo97]

I have not had the pleasure of halibut cheeks but where I live grouper cheeks, if you can find them or are lucky enough to land a grouper big enough to have some meat in the cheek, are wonderful. To me cheek meat has a texture similar to crab. Flaky, delicate and delicious. I will usually pan fry cheeks. Yummm.

[DRColby]

Least we forget: salmon cheeks which are also delicious and can probably only be found with wild fish since farmed seldom get large enough to be worthwhile (they probaby go into a can for cats along with the other waste parts).

Dave

[BBQ Brian]

I'd plank them on a cedar or alder plank - get a smoky flavor with them. Add some rum and maple syrup as a glaze, maybe some green onions or ginger and there she be. Yum.

Brian

[athinaeos]

I have tried the following for cod cheeks and I liked it. I think it should work with halibut.

Prepare duck or goose liver mousse or terrine. Slice thinly.

Sear fry the cheeks in butter. Once they have cooled off, serve on top of the sliced mousse or terrine.

Accompany with Gewurtztraminer.