Broiled Halibut

A plain broiled fish steak in the old style, with the flour or cornmeal dredge doing the work a modern cook would give to oil. The one number to ignore is the cooking time.

• The timingTwenty-five minutes under a broiler will dry halibut to cotton — it is a lean fish with very little connective tissue to protect it. A steak 1 inch thick needs roughly 8 to 10 minutes total, turned once, and is done at 130–135F internal, when the flesh just parts along the flakes.
• Broiler heatThe book gives no heat or distance; a coal- or gas-fired broiler of the period would have put the fish fairly near the flame. Set an electric or gas broiler to high, preheat it, and place the rack so the surface of the fish sits 3 to 4 inches from the element.
• Slices"Slices" here most likely means crosscut steaks on the bone, the usual way halibut was cut; the book gives no thickness, and 1 inch is a reasonable working figure. Boneless fillets of the same weight cook faster still and are more likely to stick; a hot, oiled grid or a lightly oiled pan matters more with them.
• The dry wipeWiping with a cloth wrung out in cold water is a way of cleaning the fish without waterlogging it. Pat the surface thoroughly dry afterward — flour will not adhere or brown on wet fish.
• Flour or cornmealBoth give a thin crust; cornmeal browns coarser and holds up better under the butter. Brush or dot the dredged surface with a little melted butter or oil before it goes under the heat, or the dry flour scorches before the fish is cooked.
• Maitre d'Hotel ButterIf the book's own recipe is not to hand, it is butter creamed with lemon juice, chopped parsley, salt and pepper — roughly 4 tablespoons butter to 1 teaspoon lemon juice and a tablespoon of parsley. Chill it, slice a coin onto each hot steak, and let it melt at the table.
• YieldHalibut steaks run 8 to 12 oz each; figure one steak per person, or one large steak split between two, and about 2 to 3 lb for four.