How Much Does Halibut Cost?

Halibut lives in the northern areas of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and is the largest of the flatfishes and one of the largest saltwater fish. It can reach a weight of 30 pounds and a length of over 8 feet.

Halibut is a fish known since ancient times and was considered a sacred fish, served only on the occasion of religious holidays. In fact, its name in English reflects the sacredness of this huge fish, since “hali” means holy and “but” means flat.

How Much Does Halibut Cost?

Be prepared to pay anywhere between $15 and $25 per pound of halibut at a local fish market, where the fish is caught every day. The price depends on factors such as geographical location, demand, season, and cut. At an online seafood retailer, you may have to pay even double this price range.

For example, at Omaha Steaks a package of 12 six-ounce halibut filets costs anywhere between $110 and $190. Before shipping, these halibut steaks are pressurized and packaged.

At other seafood retailers, you can find smoked fillets at the price of $35 to $50 per pound and cheeks at the cost of $25 to $32 per pound. Expect to pay $18 to more than $26 per pound for the whole halibut, without any work put into it. For example, the online retailer Fresh Seafood has for sale 25-pound whole halibut at the price of $22 per pound.

According to the members of the Chow website, the average cost of halibut is $25 per pound and anything that cost more than $35 per pound is too expensive.

Halibut – short presentation

The halibut fish is a predatory marine fish. A special feature of this fish is the location of the eyes: both are located on the right side of the head. The skin color of this sea dweller can vary from dark green to brown-black, depending on the habitat.

The meat of Halibut fish is white, firm, and with a delicate sweet aroma. The grey-brown skin is also edible. It is a fish with few bones and can be prepared in hundreds of ways.

The fishing season for halibut is summer, but it is found frozen all year round.

You might also like our articles on the cost of Bluefin Tuna, Swordfish Fillet, or Marlin Fish.

Types of halibut

Currently, there are four types of halibut:

1. White (common) – the largest species of halibut, whose weight can reach 770 pounds, and the length is 16 feet; these giants are inhabitants of the Bering and Okhotsk seas.
2. American arrowtooth – the size of such a fish usually does not exceed 2.9 feet, and the mass is 6.6 pounds, most often it lives in the northern part of the United States.
3. Blue-brown (black) – a medium-sized fish, weighing 110 pounds and up to one and 5 feet long, found in the same places as the white-faced species.
4. The Asian arrowtooth is the smallest species of halibut, growing up to 2.4 feet in length and weighing up to 4.4 pounds, found in the Japan and Bering seas.

Nutrition facts

What are the additional expenses?

If you were to buy it from an online seafood retailer, you may have to pay for delivery as your order has to be at your door within one day.

To make it easier for cooking, some retailers will prepare the fish. Plan on spending 10% to 30% more for a fillet that is already seasoned and ready to be cooked.

Important things to consider

Halibut is a fatty fish, a storehouse of various vitamins, trace elements, and fatty acids, which the human body needs so much. It contains vitamins A, and E, which are responsible for the functioning of the digestive tract and improve the complexion and the condition of the skin. In addition, this sea fish is rich in vitamin D.

As for vitamin B, which has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the whole body, in halibut, it is represented by almost all variations (from B1 to B7).

Among microelements, this fish contains iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. The noted composition has a beneficial effect on almost all processes in the body: from blood production to increasing the immunity of the whole body.

Due to the sufficient amount of Omega-3 fatty acids in halibut, which are indispensable for strengthening the walls of blood vessels, the fish is a very popular recommendation of specialists for people with stroke and heart problems.

The fat contained in halibut, which is widely used both in medicine and cosmetology, has a special value.

Although it has been fished for more than 100 years, this species is generally considered to be well-managed and not in the least threatened with extinction.

How to cook halibut

It’s easy to find a cooking use for such delicious fish. Halibut has a high value due to its juicy and tender meat, as well as its excellent sweet taste. There are many ways to prepare this delicacy. It may be subject to the following types of cooking:

• poaching;
• baking;
• pan frying;

How to choose and store halibut

To choose the right fish for cooking, you need to know some very important rules. First of all, you need to pay attention to the condition of the eyes and skin of this marine fish. It should be shiny and also have a transparent texture.

It is worth giving up on the fish if there is mucus on its fins. Also, when buying halibut, we recommend pressing it lightly with your finger. If the corner comes off quickly, then the fish is fresh. A lot of ice on the fish speaks of freezing several times.

Fresh halibut should be refrigerated and consumed within a few days. Smoked halibut keeps for about a week.

Today, frozen halibut is most commonly sold, so buy it whole and uncut so that it loses less moisture when thawed. You just have to thaw the fish naturally. To do this, it is better to place it in the refrigerator on the lower shelf.

Contraindications for halibut

Despite its rich composition, such fish has a list of contraindications for consumption. It can cause significant damage to the body in diseases of the stomach, intestines, and liver. This food is especially contraindicated for people suffering from hypertension and kidney disease. Doctors do not recommend using this delicacy in case of an allergic reaction to seafood.

Tips for saving money

If you are living close to a fish market, purchase your fish from there. This way you will get a fresh product and avoid shipping costs.

Take into consideration buying during the peak season, that is between May and September as the demand is not that high.