Saint pierre and Turbot are different fish, but they're close enough in the kitchen to stand in for one another.
Zeidae
Saint-Pierre
Saint-Pierre is one of the most valuable fish in European kitchens and one of the strangest looking: a flat, oval, olive-grey body with a dark thumbprint on each flank. Nearly every language names it after that mark and the legend attached to it — the apostle Peter's thumb, hence Saint-Pierre in France, pez de San Pedro in Spain, pesce San Pietro in Italy, Petersfisch in Germany. The English name John Dory is thought to come from the French jaune doré. Yield is poor — the head and frame are more than half its weight — but the four thick fillets are firm, pearly white and sweet, closer to turbot than to sea bass, and they hold together under a hard sear. The frame makes an excellent stock, so buy it whole if the kitchen can use both. Portuguese peixe-galo is the same fish; it should not be confused with the unrelated tropical galo species.
Full guide →Scophthalmidae
Turbot
Turbot is a large, diamond-shaped flatfish considered one of the finest eating fish in Europe. Its thick, firm white flesh has an exceptional flavor and holds up well to roasting, grilling, and poaching. It is consistently one of the most expensive fish at European fish counters. It is particularly prized in France and Spain and is often served whole at the table as a centerpiece.
Full guide →Both are prized, expensive, firm-fleshed white fish with poor yield and pearly thick fillets — turbot is meatier and more forgiving, Saint-Pierre sweeter and finer.
| Country | Saint-Pierre | Turbot |
|---|
| 🇺🇸United States | John Dory | Turbot |
| 🇬🇧United Kingdom | John Dory | Turbot |
| 🇫🇷France | Saint-Pierre | Turbot |
| 🇪🇸Spain | Pez de San Pedro | Rodaballo |
| 🇦🇷Argentina | — | Rodaballo |
| 🇵🇹Portugal | Peixe-galo | Pregado |
| 🇮🇹Italy | Pesce San Pietro | Rombo chiodato |
| 🇩🇪Germany | Petersfisch | Steinbutt |
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