Pan Fried Halibut

When I cook halibut, I think of my adopted dad, Roman Edward Witkowski. He loved to fish and passed that interest onto me. When he passed, I selected his 24-foot Reinell boat and the 18-foot Tioga motor home. Then Kevin and I hired a driver, from the Ziegler family, to drive both down the Alaska Highway, to us, here at Swinomish. We hired the Bill family to fish our boat. Then we used my boat as a down payment on the house, thirty years ago; and where we reside to this day.

When I select cuts of halibut, I know the source and often the fisherman. The piece I selected for this recipe, had skin on one side.

Ingredients

Halibut steak, 1 piece will feed two

Olive oil, 3 tbsp

Seasonings to your likening

Preparation

Rinse and pat dry the halibut steak.

Heat one tablespoon of cooking oil in a fry pan.

Medium heat, to start. After patting dry the halibut steak, hold it in one hand and sprinkle your seasonings around all sides.

Turn and sprinkle, to cover all sides.

Lay the halibut, skin side down into the pan.

It will start crackling right away.

Turn the heat down to low.

After 5 minutes, use a spatula and turn over.

Add another tablespoon of oil, in the pan, around the halibut.

The top and bottom of the halibut will be visibly brown.

After 15 minutes, turn once more and add the third tablespoon of oil.

Put a lid on the fry pan.

Cook another ten minutes.

Test for doneness.

To test for doneness, use two forks.

Separate pieces of the halibut, to determine if the inside is firm or mushy.

If mushy, add another 5 minutes of cooking time, with the lid on.

The fish must be firm before serving.