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Butter Poached Fish with Seasonal Salad

Consider this a master recipe. You can play with it a lot by changing the fat -- butter, olive oil, sesame oil, lard, duck fat, whatever -- or the salad underneath the fish, and, obviously, by altering the fish you use. I used California halibut, because it is fantastic cooked this way, but almost any fish will work well here, especially freshwater fish. The only sorts of fish I'd avoid butter poaching would be dark, oily ones like mackerel, bluefish, herring or shad. Other oily fish are nice this way, though, like tuna or salmon, sablefish (black cod), or yellowtail.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 76 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 to 2 pounds of skinless boneless fish or shrimp
  • salt
  • 1 yellow squash
  • 1 green squash, like a zucchini
  • 1 large cucumber
  • 3 to 6 radishes
  • 1/4 pound fresh green beans
  • 1/4 cup white wine or rice vinegar
  • 1 pound unsalted butter
  • olive oil (optional)
  • black pepper

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Salt the fish well and set aside. Slice the squash, cucumber and radishes very thinly into rounds, ideally with a mandoline -- although a knife is fine. Slice the green beans thinly on the diagonal. Toss all the vegetables with a little salt and vinegar and set aside.
  2. Melt the butter in a pot large enough to hold at least 1 piece of fish, and ideally 2, at a time, but small enough so that the pieces of fish are submerged. You can use more butter if you want to, or you can top things off with olive oil. You want the butter to be between 150°F and 170°F. When the butter hits the right temperature, pat the pieces of fish dry with paper towels and submerge in the oil. If the fish sizzles at all, lower the heat. You want the fish to cook gently. Let the fish swim in the butter for about 10 minutes for every 1/2 inch of thickness. One way to do this is to put the submerged fish into a 325°F oven for 15 minutes.
  3. To finish the salad, add a little bit of the melted butter, or use olive oil, and toss well. Put some on everyone's plate. Gently lift out the pieces of fish and lay them on the salad. Grind lots of black pepper over everything. Serve with some good crusty bread.

Nutrition Information

Calories 76kcal (4%) Carbohydrates 7g (2%) Protein 10g (20%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Cholesterol 21mg (7%) Sodium 39mg (2%) Potassium 603mg (17%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 474IU (9%) Vitamin C 23mg (26%) Calcium 39mg (4%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 76

% Daily Value*

Calories 76kcal 4%
Carbohydrates 7g 2%
Protein 10g 20%
Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 21mg 7%
Sodium 39mg 2%
Potassium 603mg 13%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 474IU 9%
Vitamin C 23mg 26%
Calcium 39mg 4%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.