Turbot is available all year round, but its scarcity combined with its unique, meaty texture and flavour makes it the pinnacle of fish cookery for many chefs. Turbot has been highly sought after for centuries; notable French gastronomes like Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin and Marie-Antoine Carême singled it out for special praise, with the latter calling turbot 'the prince of the seas'.

Turbot has a flavour similar to something like a Dover sole, but the texture is much firmer, more like halibut. As a result, it really is a chef's dream to cook with, and it stands up to flavours that might drown out more delicate fish.

The classic preparation would be to steam or poach turbot and accompany with a light sauce, such as parsley or hollandaise. Check out Robert Thompson's pan-roasted Turbot with fennel and Pernod velouté for something really classic. Nathan Outlaw's Turbot with tartare sauce is a British classic from a master of fish cookery, or try Luke Holder's Turbot with summer mushroom salad and apricot dressing if you want to cook something a little more exotic! Scroll down to take a look at our full collection of turbot recipes.