Turbot

hirame

There is no direct translation for turbot, but the Japanese classify all flatfish with both eyes on the left side of the head as hirame. Similar-looking but smaller fish from the Indian Ocean, the South China Sea, and off the coast of Queensland, Australia, are often exported to Japan as hirame. Of all hirame, the white flesh of the turbot is considered to have the most exquisite flavor and a meaty, succulent texture. It is excellent eaten raw in sushi and as sashimi.

Turbot fillets

The outer edges of the fillets are considered to be a delicacy, as they are slightly crunchy and each fish yields only small strips.

AVAILABILITY

Hirame come into season in Japan and in the rest of the northern hemisphere in fall and winter. Wild turbot is found in coastal waters near Canada, Northern Europe, and the Mediterranean. Farmed turbot is becoming increasingly available. The spiny flatfish and the Indian spiny turbot—other turbotlike fish that are often exported to Japan as hirame—come into season between June and December.

SUSTAINABILITY

Wild turbot stocks are poorly monitored, so eat it infrequently. Choose farmed turbot reared in closed tanks, or trap- or line-caught wild turbot. Avoid immature fish, which are less than 12in (30cm), and from April to August, its breeding season.