Fish of the Week - Turbot

The turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) is a species of flatfish in the family Scophthalmidae. It is a demersal fish

Turbot

native to marine or brackish waters of the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.





The word comes from the Old French tourbout, which in turn is thought to be a derivative of the Latin turbo ("spinning top") a possible reference to its shape. Early reference to the Turbot can be found in a satirical poem (The Emperor's Fish) by Juvenal, a Roman poet of the late 1st and early 2nd centuries A.D., suggesting this fish was a delicacy in the Roman empire.
In the UK, Turbot is pronounced /ˈtɜrbət/ tur-bət. In the US it is pronounced /ˈtɜrboʊ/ tur-boh (the French pronunciation of "turbot" is [tyʁbo]).
In Turkey, where the fish is popular and expensive, it is called "Kalkan" - "shield" - due to the fish's resemblance to the item. Instead of a smooth skin, Kalkan (Scophthalmus maeoticus), which is from the Black Sea, has small spikes on both sides; it is considered a subspecies of the Mediterranean Turbot (Scophthalmus maximus).





The turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) is a large left-eyed flatfish found primarily close to shore in sandy shallow waters throughout the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the North Atlantic. The European turbot has an asymmetrical disk-shaped body, and has been known to grow up to 100 cm (39 in) long and 25 kg (55 lb) in weight.





Turbot is highly prized as a food fish for its delicate flavour, and is also known as breet, britt or butt. It is a valuable commercial species, acquired through aquaculture and trawling. Turbot are farmed in France, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Turkey, Chile, Norway, and China. Turbot has a bright white flesh that retains this appearance when cooked. Like all flatfish, turbot yields four fillets with meatier topside portions that may be baked, poached or pan-fried.





Baked Turbot



Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 serving-size portions of Turbot
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
4 pats of Light Butter
Ground White Pepper, to taste
Hungarian Paprika, to taste
Sea Salt, to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Lay the turbot fillets on a baking sheet or baking dish. Drizzle with lemon juice, then sprinkle with white pepper, salt, and paprika. Lay a pat of butter on each portion - you can break the butter in smaller bits if you like.
Bake at 400 degrees until the fish is cooked through - about 20 minutes. Serve hot garnished with a bit of lemon.
Slice the remaining 1/2 lemon into wedges and serve it with the fish.