Poached halibut with creamy white wine and tarragon sauce
Poached halibut:
- 1 bay leaf
- few sprigs of fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- ½ lemon, sliced into rounds
- large pinch of rock salt
- 4 skinless, boneless halibut fillets, about 5 ounces each
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 large shallots, minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1ÂĽ cups fish stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- lemon juice to taste
- handful of fresh tarragon, leaves chopped
Instructions:
Halibut has a delicate flavor, and is perfectly matched with this creamy white wine and tarragon sauce.
- First, make the sauce. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and add the shallots and some seasoning. Sweat the shallots until soft without coloring, 5–6 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and let it boil until the pan is quite dry.
- Add the fish stock, bring to a boil, and reduce by half. Finally, pour in the cream, bring back to a boil, and cook until reduced to a thick but still pourable consistency. Strain through a sieve into a clean pan. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and a little lemon juice and keep warm. Stir in the tarragon leaves just before serving.
- To poach the halibut, put all the aromatics into a large saucepan and half fill the pan with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Season the fish with salt and pepper, then lower into the liquid. Gently poach until the fish is opaque and just firm, 8–10 minutes.
- Carefully remove the halibut fillets with a slotted spatula and dab dry with paper towels. Place on warmed plates and spoon the white wine and tarragon sauce over the fish.