Butter Poaching
Until recently, I’d never poached anything solely in butter. When Provence WineZine friends Susan and Towny gave me some vanilla salt, I wanted to use it as a finishing salt for halibut poached in butter. I googled “butter poached halibut” and was alarmed to find that fully submerging four fillets required two pounds of melted butter. Two pounds! To me, that’s a lot of pastry that would never get made.
I needed an alternative. Finally, I came upon one recipe that butter poached the fish using sous vide. Each fillet used only 1 tablespoon of butter. That sounded much more reasonable to me! So I set about experimenting to create this recipe.
There were trials and tribulations. Too much salt, not enough salt, and then the sous vide wand malfunctioned midcourse, and I ended up with very over cooked halibut. Was this a cursed recipe?
No, it wasn’t cursed. It’s merely the process we all go through when creating a recipe. The version I share with you today is pretty darned perfect, all modesty aside. I paired it with a really nice white Châteauneuf-du-Pape, about which I have written on the Provence WineZine. Please visit their site to learn more.
~ David
Butter Poached Halibut with Lime-Vanilla Sauce
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Ingredients
- 4 6-ounce pieces halibut fillet, skin removed
- 2 limes, zest finely grated and juiced
- vanilla salt (or sea salt)
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup late harvest dessert wine
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Set the four fillets on a cutting board and evenly zest one of the limes over the fillets. Season well with vanilla salt (or sea salt). Turn the fillets and repeat the seasoning process using the second lime and more salt.
- Cut 4 separate tablespoons of the unsalted butter and, using your fingers, flatten them to better match the size of the halibut fillets. Place each fillet into a vacuum sealing bag, then place one flattened piece of the butter against the skinned side of each fillet. Vacuum seal each bag, and place them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the lime and salt to permeate the flesh. During this time, using the sous vide wand, bring the water temperature to 125°F. (See notes if you don’t have a sous vide wand.)
- After 30 minutes, place the halibut fillets into the sous vide bath for 45 minutes (at 125°F). While they cook, juice the limes and measure 1/4 cup of strained lime juice. Reserve any remaining lime juice for another purpose. Place the quarter cup of lime juice in a small saucepan and add the dessert wine and brown sugar; bring to a low boil. Cook the mixture until the liquid has reduced to around 2 tablespoons (it can be more, but not less). Remove from the heat and set aside.
- As you near the end of the cooking time, reheat the juice/wine mixture over medium-low heat. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter at a time until smooth and creamy. After the 5th tablespoon of butter, add the vanilla and whisk well. Whisk in the final tablespoon of butter, then remove from the heat and set aside covered, to keep warm.
- When the fish is done, heat a skillet to medium-high, then carefully transfer each fillet from its bag, skinned side up, into the skillet. The residual butter should help it brown nicely. Transfer to 4 plates, browned side up and nap the sauce over and around the fish. If desired, garnish with mint leaves.
- Serves 4.
- Notes:
- — it helps to have squarish pieces of fish. Today, mine were long and skinny, and they broke, which was challenging. (See next note.)
- — after the fish comes out of the sous vide bags, it will sometimes break into several pieces. Don’t panic — just brown those pieces and serve them as if you intended to do so (like I did!).
- — if you don’t have a sous vide wand, pan sear the fish on one side, flip the fish, then place the skillet in a 350°F oven for a few minutes to finish (though it won’t have the butter poached quality).
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Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food If At First You Don’t Succeed… - Provence WineZine
May 6, 2023 at 5:54 am[…] of Vanilla Salt from Susan and Towny. Butter Poached Halibut with Lime-Vanilla Sauce. You can get the recipe on Cocoa & Lavender, where I give sous vide instructions and then, in the notes, a traditional method for cooking the […]
Colette
May 6, 2023 at 6:51 amButter-poached GORGEOUSNESS!
Mad Dog
May 6, 2023 at 12:21 pmDoing this sous vide sounds like an exceptionally good idea! I suspect the original recipe might have been for cooking and preserving large quantities of fish, which is difficult to reproduce when it’s an intimate dinner.
I had a sous vide once that switched itself off just after coming up to temperature and I’d sunk 10 kg of meat in to the water! After a very tense hour, I got it to restart by sheer fluke!
David Scott Allen
May 9, 2023 at 2:38 pmOddly, the recipe was only for 4 people but the fish needed to be submerged in butter. Quite a waste! I can only imagine the stress of the sous vide failing. Actually, I can do more than imagine!
Christina Conte
May 6, 2023 at 10:21 pmI’m glad you didn’t do the 2 lb butter version! Wow, do people have cows in their back garden? Your halibut looks absolutely perfect, David! What a fab recipe, thank you!
David Scott Allen
May 9, 2023 at 2:39 pmI’m glad, too, Christina! It was just fantastic this way!
Frank | Memorie di Angelina
May 7, 2023 at 5:11 amIngenious idea! All the lusciousness of butter poaching without the prodigious waste. Then again you already know about me and sous vide cookery… we’re not friends. But maybe this might be the way we get reacquainted.
And yes, when a recipe turns out different from what you meant it to be, never let ‘m know! I learned that from a professional chef when I was 25 or something. Never forgot that little piece of advice.
David Scott Allen
May 9, 2023 at 2:41 pmI think you do need to give sous vide another try – it’s not for everything, but it’s great for some!
I get the advice, and I’m really bad about it! I’ll work on that.
Mimi Rippee
May 7, 2023 at 7:54 amThis is the prettiest plating. And butter-poached? Say no more.
David Scott Allen
May 9, 2023 at 2:42 pmI was pleased with the plating – I was a little nervous when the fish broke into pieces, but it all ended well!
Ronit
May 7, 2023 at 9:43 amI’m not much into Sous-vide machines, but no doubt I’d make the exception for this dish. Great flavors! 🙂
David Scott Allen
May 9, 2023 at 2:43 pmI am not really into sous vide, either – but there are a few occasions when it is brilliant! I hope you try this one!
sherry
May 7, 2023 at 10:14 pmooh david how delish! I love vanilla and lime, and fish! this sounds superb! I don’t have a sous-vide and i usually just bake my fish dishes. I’m sure i could do this here. Your photo looks beautiful and makes me want to eat this now 🙂 Funnily enough, hubby and i were just talking about how vanilla makes everyone think of sweets but it’s all in our heads really. Vanilla is its own beautiful beastie.
David Scott Allen
May 9, 2023 at 2:45 pmThis could easily by baking it, Sherry, with the occasional baste of butter! 🙂
I love using vanilla in savory dishes! Funny that you and Mr. P we’re discussing this.
Jeff the Chef
May 9, 2023 at 6:22 amI cannot wait to try this! I love fish (and of course butter), and I haven’t had my sous vide out in a while. Vanilla salt? How interesting! I’ve never heard of it! And a lime vanilla sauce? I’m just kind of out of my mind with the idea!
David Scott Allen
May 9, 2023 at 2:46 pmIt was a fun recipe to create – all inspired by the salt! I love when it all comes together, Jeff.
Raymund
May 9, 2023 at 4:26 pmYour butter-poached halibut recipe sounds absolutely delicious and the fact that it only requires a tablespoon of butter per fillet, that indeed is a lot of pastry.
Cocoa & Lavender
May 27, 2023 at 4:19 amI meant that — two pounds of butter could make 8 tarts! And the sad thing is the melted butter is rendered useless. Who wants fish butter? (Oh, perhaps the cat…)
2pots2cook
May 12, 2023 at 5:00 amLove your version, for sure. Butter saved for cruffins 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
May 27, 2023 at 4:20 amAbsolute — though I have never had a cruffin!
Fran@G'day Souffle
May 12, 2023 at 7:39 amLove the textures of this dish! I have a bottle of truffle salt so that might work as well- although I think the vanilla salt would go better with the lime flavors. I don’t have a sous vide machine, but I think this recipe would work without one since quite a bit of the ingredients are made in a saucepan anyway.
Cocoa & Lavender
May 27, 2023 at 4:21 amYes, this recipe can be prepared stovetop or in the oven with great success. I do think vanilla flavor is better for this – truffle would fight with the vanilla in the sauce.
Valentina
May 16, 2023 at 12:57 pmSomething else I’ve never done and will try. Butter Poached has a delicious ring to it!!! 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
May 27, 2023 at 4:22 amButter is such a wonderful thing. I think that is why it is a major good group, along with cram, sugar, chocolate, and salt.