I Found A New Favorite Fish - Turbot

Turbot. I had it in a restaurant once - it was nice, but not that memorable. I saw beautiful fillets of this fish in a local seafood store and asked the fishmonger about it. He said that it's a cross between halibut and cod...that it's sweeter and more flaky than halibut. I like halibut, so I was really intrigued. The flesh was in a creamy yet translucent pale pink and looked so fresh too. I was sold.

White fishes are usually bland. I wanted to add flavor, but didn't want to overpower it. So I topped the fillets with a bread crumb mixture of cheese and citrus (to lighten it up) and popped it in the oven. It came out perfect - the fish was moist and slightly rich. I served it with a side of roasted fennel with orange juice. My goal was to keep the meal simple (easy) but flavorful.

Above, Broiled Turbot with Fennel

Above, the moist interior of the broiled Turbot fillet

Broiled Turbot Fillet with Bread Crumbs
serves 2
2 Turbot fillets
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated parmesean cheese
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated lemon or lime zest
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
butter

Combine the bread crumbs, parmesean cheese, garlic, zest and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a bowl. Coat the fillets with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Season the fillets with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture onto the fillets. Top onto the bread crumbs pats of butter (use as little or as much as you like). Place the fillets in the broiler on high for a minute, or until the bread crumb topping is golden brown. Then bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

The fennel was easy as well. This vegetable goes well with fish (especially salmon), chicken or pork. Let me know if you want the recipe.