This easy pan-seared Greenland halibut steak recipe combines the ease of pan searing with the Cantonese flavors of soy, ginger, and scallions that’s used for steamed fish recipes.
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Fast and Delicious Greenland Halibut Steaks
You will love this Greenland halibut steak recipe. First you flavor the oil by stir-frying the ginger and scallion and then you pan sear the cornstarch coated halibut filets for a few minutes on each side. Then you add a soy sauce mixture to season the fish, which results in a tender, mild fish with savory carmelization and freshness from the ginger and scallions.
This recipe is actually inspired by my son, who adapted Rasa Malaysia’s ginger soy fish recipe when he was in charge of making dinner recently. My recipe uses a different fish, a different cut, and a different sauce.
I usually steam our fish Chinese style and then add scallion, ginger, oil, and soy sauce at the end. And we also pan-sear salmon steaks coated with cornstarch, it’s so juicy and tasty. This recipe is a fantastic mashup of different dishes we make at home.
What is Greenland Halibut?
Greenland halibut is different from your typical halibut we find in supermarkets and restaurants, which might be either Pacific halibut or Atlantic halibut. A halibut might weigh up to 500 pounds, which can yield large filets.
In comparison to halibut, Greenland Halibut is also a flat fish but much smaller. An adult Greenland halibut might weigh about 8.5 pounds. Greenland halibut will look brownish-grey on both sides and have very fine scales that are barely visible. They’re also called black turbot, Greenland Turbot, and other similar names. Its scientific name is Reinhardtius hippoglossoides.
I like Greenland halibut very much because of its tender, buttery texture that reminds me of Chilean sea bass, which I avoid due to concerns about overfishing. According to NOAA.gov, “U.S. wild-caught Greenland turbot is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.”
Buying and Cooking Frozen Fish
This variety of halibut or turbot fish is usually sold frozen so you may find it in the freezer section of Asian supermarkets or order it online from Asian food delivery services such as SayWeee for about $12 to $15 for a 20-ounce package. Each steak (cut as a cross-section with the backbone in the center) is individually portioned and weigh about 4 to 5 ounces each.
We like our fish really fresh and they’re usually swimming when we buy them from the Asian supermarket. It’s always a concern that frozen fish won’t be as fresh tasting. But it’s a great option during the winter months when live fish is not readily available due to weather conditions.
The fish will taste fresh if you cook the fish within a day of thawing in the refrigerator. Ingredients such as scallions, ginger, and rice wine are essential to enhancing the fresh flavors of the fish.
How to Make Pan Seared Greenland Halibut
Prepare the ingredients
Since the frozen fish is sliced thinly, they defrost overnight in your refrigerator easily. If still slightly frozen, thaw the fish at room temperature for 30 minutes and then as you prep the fish, it will thaw completely.
Even though the scales are very small, I like to use a steak knife or a sharp paring knife to scrape all the scales off the skin. Be sure to rinse the fish well to remove any of the tiny scales from the flesh. Drain and then pat dry with paper towels.
I recommend coating the fish steaks with a light dusting of cornstarch. This helps to keep the fish tender and juicy when cooked. Pansearing the cornstarch coated fish gives it a light, crispy exterior that absorbs the sauce and makes each bite very flavorful.
Cook it right before serving
This halibut recipe cooks very fast. Prep all the ingredients and set aside. My recommendation is to cook this dish last, when your sides are about 10 minutes from being done and/or ready to eat.
You will want to preheat a large non-stick pan on medium heat. I use a 12-inch non-stick skillet so that there’s more room to turn the fish over to cook on the other side.
Saute the ginger and scallions until fragrant. Remove the scallions and ginger and set aside. Then add the fish and sear the first side until the bottom is slightly browned, about 2-4 minutes depending on whether your fish steaks are 4 ounces or 5 ounces in size.
The fish steaks will be delicate, so handle with care when you flip the fish. I usually hold a fish spatula with one hand to flip and a pair of chopsticks on the other side to avoid pushing the fish all around the pot with a spatula.
Flip the fish, top them with the ginger and scallions, and then pour the sauce over the fish. The sauce will thicken slightly, quickly flip the fish again to coat the fish with sauce and to cook the sauce thoroughly.
What to Serve with Halibut Steaks?
I love the natural tastes and textures of my food. This recipe has a lot of flavor from the fried ginger, the sauce, the crispy crust, and the tender fish. For that reason, I would serve it with plain rice or maybe aromatic fried rice as a side dish.
You will also want to eat it with some vegetables. Simple green vegetable stir fries are easy to make. If you only have access to a conventional supermarket but want to cook it Chinese-style, try my recipes for stir-fried iceberg lettuce or stir-fried romaine lettuce.
Other Asian vegetables that are easy too cook and taste delicious are Napa Cabbage Stir Fry and Baby Bok Choy Instant Pot Recipe, Tender Crisp, Chinese-Style.
If your family members are hearty eaters, you might want to add an easy tofu side dish. It’s also super easy to pan-fry frozen potstickers or make potsticker soup with veggies. I usually keep a pack of Trader Joe’s Chicken Gyoza Potstickers in my freezer (nut-free last time I checked).
Allergy Aware Greenland Halibut Steaks
This recipe is free from peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, milk, egg, and sesame as written.
If wheat-free or gluten intolerant use a gluten-free tamari sauce as an easy substitute. People who are allergic to soy, might like this recipe with coconut aminos instead of using soy sauce. Otherwise, I recommend exploring different soy sauce options or making a batch of my recipe for Soy-Free Soy Sauce Recipe, Top 9 Allergen Free.
The other ingredient that might be concerning regarding food allergens is Chinese rice wine. I use a Chinese rice wine that I managed to confirm by phone is made in a rice-only facility. To read more about why I picked that one, see my post about How to Choose an Allergy Friendly Chinese Rice Wine.
If you are new to Nut Free Wok and need to find other nut-free ingredients to make allergy aware Asian fare, be sure to look at What’s in Nut Free Wok’s Cupboard? Nut-Free Ingredients for more ideas.
Pan-Seared Greenland Halibut Steaks with Ginger and Scallions
Ingredients
- 4 5-ounce Greenland halibut steaks thawed
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper ground
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or other neutral oil
- 4 stalks scallions chopped into 1-inch pieces, diagonally
- 1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger peel and julienne
Instructions
- Use a sharp knife to scale the Greenland halibut steaks, rinse, and drain in a colander. Pat dry with paper towels and lay them on a plate. Sprinkle both sides with cornstarch, set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the rice wine, soy sauce, sugar, and white pepper until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
- Prepare the scallions and ginger, set aside.
- Preheat a large non-stick frying pan on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the oil and swirl the pan to coat. Add the julienned ginger and stir fry until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add the scallion and stir fry for 30 seconds. Remove the scallions and ginger from the pan and set aside for later.
- Add the Greenland halibut steaks to the pan in one layer and pan sear until slightly browned on one side (approximately 3 minutes). Allow more time for thicker pieces (up to 4 minutes).
- Use a fish turner to flip carefully (tip: use another utensil in your other hand to keep the fish from sliding around in your pan).
- Top the steaks with the scallions and ginger and pour the sauce mixture over the fish and allow the sauce to sizzle for 30 seconds. Gently flip the fish over to cook the sauce on the other side (30 seconds). Flip again to serve the fish immediately and top each piece with some scallion and ginger from the pan.
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