Halibut is a truly enormous flat fish and can be found in great numbers off the Dorset coast during the autumnal months. This enables us to serve fresh, locally caught fish in our restaurants. We regularly receive fish weighing over 50 kilograms, which can feed more than 100 people — it’s certainly an impressive beast!
Halibut has a natural sweetness, so try not to overpower it and always use wild halibut for the fullest flavour.
1. Baked Halibut Steaks With A Hazelnut Crust
This recipe is designed to show off the halibut's flavour with as few distractions as possible. The lovely, seasonal crust simply adds crunch and is the ideal complement to the clean, delicate taste of the fish.
Serves: 2
Time: 20-30 mins
Ingredients
- 2.25kg halibut steaks
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 100g hazelnuts, toasted and finely crushed
- 100g breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 50g butter, melted
- Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
- 2 lemons, zest and juice (use 1 lemon for the crust, 1 for serving)
Method
-
Preheat the oven
Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) / 350°F.
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Prepare the fish
Lightly oil a large baking tray. Place the halibut steaks on the tray in a single layer.
Season both sides with salt and pepper, then drizzle lightly with olive oil.
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Make the hazelnut crust
In a bowl (or food processor), combine:
- crushed hazelnuts
- breadcrumbs
- beaten egg
- melted butter
- chopped parsley
- zest of both lemons
- juice of 1 lemon
Mix until everything is evenly combined and lightly clumpy. The mixture should be moist but not wet — it should hold together when pressed.
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Top the halibut
Spoon the hazelnut mixture evenly over the halibut steaks, gently pressing it down so it sticks.
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Bake
Place the tray in the oven and bake for 8–12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.
The halibut is ready when:
- the flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork
- the crust is lightly golden
Avoid overcooking — halibut dries out quickly.
-
Serve
Serve immediately with lemon wedges from the remaining lemon. This pairs beautifully with seasonal vegetables or a simple salad and a chilled glass of white wine.
Top Tip
If your crust starts to brown before the fish is cooked, loosely cover the tray with foil and return it to the oven for the final few minutes.
2. Halibut With Mussels And A Saffron Cream Sauce
Delicate halibut, sweet mussels and a rich saffron cream come together in this elegant, coastal dish. The sauce is luxurious without being heavy, gently perfumed with saffron and white wine, making it perfect for a relaxed dinner party or a special weekend supper. Serve with new potatoes or crusty bread to soak up every last spoonful.
Serves: 2
Time: 30-40 mins
Ingredients
- 200ml fish stock
- 150ml double cream
- Pinch of saffron strands
- 1 bay leaf
- Thai Nam Pla fish sauce (optional, a few drops)
- 12–16 mussels, cleaned
- 350–400g halibut steaks (2 portions)
- Olive oil, for cooking
- Butter, for cooking
- ⅓ leek, finely sliced
- 100ml dry white wine
- Handful of chives, finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
-
Make the saffron cream sauce
Pour the fish stock and cream into a saucepan. Add the saffron strands and bay leaf.
Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until reduced by ½ to ⅔, stirring occasionally.
The sauce should be lightly thickened and golden in colour.
Season to taste and, if using, add a couple of drops of Thai Nam Pla. Remove the bay leaf and keep warm.
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Prepare the mussels
Rinse the mussels under cold running water. Discard any that are cracked or do not close when firmly tapped.
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Cook the halibut
Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) / 425°F.
Lightly oil a roasting tray and place the halibut steaks on it.
Season well with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
Roast at the top of the oven for 10–15 minutes, depending on thickness, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.
-
Cook the mussels
About 6–7 minutes before the halibut is ready, melt a knob of butter in a wide sauté pan over medium heat.
Add the sliced leek and sweat gently for 2 minutes, without colouring.
Add the mussels, toss in the butter, then pour in the white wine. Cover with a lid and cook for 2–3 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until all the mussels have opened. Discard any that remain closed.
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Bring the dish together
Remove the lid and pour the warm saffron cream sauce into the pan with the mussels.
Increase the heat and boil rapidly for 2 minutes to bring everything together.
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Serve
Divide the halibut between 2 warmed plates.
Spoon the mussels and saffron cream sauce over the fish, ensuring an even amount of mussels on each plate.
Finish with chopped chives and serve immediately.
3. Wild Halibut With Samphire And Lobster Butter
The clean, delicate flavour of wild halibut pairs beautifully with sweet lobster meat and rich garlic butter. Finished with samphire for freshness and a squeeze of lemon, this is a simple but indulgent dish — perfect with sautéed new potatoes on the side.
Serves: 4
Time: 35-45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 whole lobster, cooked
- 200g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 garlic clove, finely crushed
- Handful of chives, finely chopped
- 4 × 225g wild halibut fillets, skin on, scaled and pin-boned
- Olive oil, for cooking
- 100g samphire, rinsed
- ½ lemon, juiced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Handful of wild rocket, to serve
Method
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Prepare the lobster
Cook the lobster according to your usual method (or house instructions), then allow it to cool slightly.
Split the lobster in half lengthways. Crack the claws and cut the tail shell open with kitchen scissors.
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Remove the meat
Carefully remove all the lobster meat from the tail and claws.
Cut the meat into generous bite-sized chunks, place in a bowl and refrigerate until needed.
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Make the lobster butter
In a bowl, mix the softened butter with the crushed garlic and chopped chives until evenly combined.
Set aside at room temperature.
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Cook the halibut
Preheat a hot grill.
Lightly oil and season the halibut fillets on both sides. Place them skin-side up on a baking tray and grill until the skin is golden and lightly crisp, then turn and cook until just done.
The fish should be opaque and flake easily — avoid overcooking.
Remove from the grill and keep warm.
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Finish the samphire and lobster
Heat a wide pan over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the samphire for 1–2 minutes until just tender.
Add the lobster meat, garlic butter and lemon juice.
Cook gently until the butter has melted and the lobster is warmed through — do not boil.
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Serve
Divide the halibut fillets between 4 warm bowls.
Spoon the samphire and lobster butter over the fish.
Finish with a small handful of wild rocket on the side and serve immediately.
4. Whole Roasted Halibut With Pan Fried Scallops
This show-stopping dish is all about timing and simplicity. A whole halibut is gently roasted until just cooked, then finished with sweet, caramelised scallops and a bright, buttery pan sauce of samphire, capers and lemon. It’s elegant but unfussy — perfect for a celebratory lunch or an impressive centrepiece when cooking for guests.
Serves: 4-6
Time: 40-50 mins
Ingredients
- Olive oil, for cooking
- 1–2kg whole halibut, cleaned and scaled
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 12 scallops, cleaned and patted dry
- 200g samphire, rinsed
- 4 tbsp capers, drained
- 1 garlic clove, finely crushed
- 100ml dry white wine
- Butter, for finishing
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
Method
-
Roast the halibut
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) / 350°F.
Lightly oil a large baking tray. Rub the halibut all over with olive oil and season generously inside and out with salt and pepper.
Place on the tray and roast for 30–40 minutes, depending on size.
The fish is ready when the flesh pulls away easily from the bone and is opaque throughout.
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Rest the fish
Turn off the oven and leave the halibut inside with the door closed while you cook the scallops. This keeps it warm and allows the flesh to relax.
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Cook the scallops
Heat a large frying pan over high heat until very hot.
Season the scallops lightly with salt and drizzle with olive oil.
Place them in the pan and cook for 45–60 seconds per side, depending on size, until golden-brown and just cooked. Remove briefly to a warm plate.
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Make the pan sauce
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the samphire, capers and crushed garlic to the same pan.
Pour in the white wine and allow it to bubble and reduce slightly for 1–2 minutes.
Add a generous knob of butter, the lemon juice and chopped parsley, swirling the pan until glossy.
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Assemble and serve
Transfer the roasted halibut to a large serving platter.
Arrange the scallops over the top and spoon the samphire and caper sauce generously over the fish.
Serve immediately.
These recipes are part of a collection of wisdom passed down from our founders who started the Hive Beach Café in 1991, as well as from the fantastic chefs whose creative culinary minds have been allowed to run wild in our kitchens. These seafood recipes with halibut have been taken from our books The Hive Beach Café Family Cookbook and The Hive Beach Café Cookbook Volume 1 — both available to purchase from our online shop.
