The health values of eating brill include bolstering your immune system, fighting heart disease, and reducing chances of respiratory illnesses — among many other benefits. Consider adding brill to your dinner plate for a wholesome, lean-protein fish that will benefit your overall health.
What Is Brill?
Search “what is brill fish” online, and you’ll find that it’s one of many types of flatfish. Brill may be known by other names, such as California sole, round-nosed sole, flounder, and Jordan’s flounder. In the U.S., brill’s official name is petrale sole (Eopsetta jordani). Its home range in the Pacific Ocean stretches from Alaska to Baja California.
When caught, most brill weigh 1-2 pounds. Adult female brill measure up to 24 inches in length, while adult males grow up to 18 inches. Like other types of flatfish, brill spend most of their time on the ocean floor. They position their flat, oval-shaped bodies sideways with one side lying on the ground. As they grow, the eye facing the ground moves to the side facing up, making this fish “right-eyed.” Their bottom side is typically whitish-pink, while their top side is light or dark brown.
The Pacific Ocean’s brill could be confused with Europe’s brill, which is a different species (Scophthalmus rhombus). While both fish have similar characteristics, they do have one big difference: European brill is a “left-eyed” fish.
Turbot is another type of flatfish-like brill. You’ll also find Greenland turbot off the coast of Alaska, but its nutritional value differs as it has more fat than brill. Arrowtooth flounder is commonly called turbot, and it has similar fat and protein content to brill. This fish is also found off the coasts of Alaska and Oregon but is largely used for animal feed.
Brill fishing in the Pacific Ocean is considered a sustainable industry. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, the Pacific Fishery Management Council, and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council all oversee commercial brill fishing. The three petrale sole stocks — Pacific coast, Gulf of Alaska, and Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands — all report not being overfished based on recent data.
What Nutrients Are Found in Brill?
Brill is healthy, low-fat, and a high protein source. Protein helps build muscle mass and promotes bone, skin, and tissue health. Brill is an excellent source of calcium, known to benefit your bones. Calcium is vital for healthy blood clotting and heart rhythms.
The nutritional value of brill does not stop there. Brill contains many other essential nutrients for your health, including:
How Does Eating Brill Positively Affect Your Health?
Reduces chances of autoimmune disorders. A study by Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology shows a connection between low levels of Vitamin D receptors in immune cells and higher risks of developing autoimmune disorders such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Relieves ADHD symptoms. Although not considered a primary treatment, Omega-3 fatty acids may improve clinical ADHD symptoms and cognitive functions due to the nutrient’s benefits for brain health.
Lowers risk of some cancers. Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin D are associated with potentially reducing the risk of certain cancers, such as prostate cancer, colon cancer, and breast cancer. Along with being a potential cancer-preventing mineral, Selenium can help fight cancer when combined with other clinical treatments.
Prevents skeletal disorders. Vitamin D is necessary for your body to absorb phosphorus and calcium — necessary hormones and minerals for bone growth and maintenance. Without enough Vitamin D to metabolize calcium, your body must take the calcium already stored in your bones to maintain healthy serum levels in your blood. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults.
Improves cardiovascular functions. The Omega-3 fatty acids you find in brill promote healthy HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels. HDL cholesterol helps maintain good blood clotting factors and lower blood pressure, reducing your risk of heart disease.
Helps cognition and memory loss. A study from the Cureus Journal of Medical Science reports on a link between vitamin B12 deficiency and decreased cognitive function. Eating Vitamin B12-rich brill can help improve general memory function.
Enhances fetal growth and infant development. Omega-3 fatty acids can aid fetal brain and eye development, particularly during the second half of pregnancy and throughout the first year of life. Sufficient vitamin B12 intake during pregnancy may reduce the risks of some neural tube closure birth defects like spina bifida and anencephaly.
Are There Risks to Eating Brill?
Certain types of fish contain mercury, a toxin that can severely affect your nervous, digestive, respiratory, and immune systems. The FDA lists brill (flounder or sole) in the “best choice” category for seafood. Its mercury levels are lower than those of Chilean sea bass, halibut, mahi-mahi, orange roughy, and yellowfin tuna. The FDA advises that children can safely have up to two servings — dependent on the child’s age — of brill per week. Those pregnant or breastfeeding can safely eat up to three servings a week.
Improper handling and consumption of raw brill can lead to food poisoning. The FDA advises consumers to only purchase fresh fish stored in refrigerators or on a thick bed of ice. Select fillets that smell fresh with no ammonia or strong fishy smell, and avoid fillets with discolored edges.
What Are the Best Ways to Prepare Brill?
To thaw brill, leave it in the fridge overnight. If you need to thaw it quickly, set it in cold water or use a microwave’s defrost setting.
With a sweet, delicate, and nutty flavor, brill tastes great grilled, baked, broiled, poached, or pan-fried. Cook your fillets until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit. When done, the flesh should be easy to separate with a fork.
To prevent bacteria growth, don’t leave cooked brill out for more than two hours. Reduce that time to one hour if the outside temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Brill can work well as a substitute for other whitefish. Consider using it in your favorite whitefish recipes. For more options, try:
