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A beige plate with white beans, wilted greens, and microgreens, topped with a piece of white fish in a light sauce, arranged artfully on a speckled surface.

Vermouth Poached Halibut

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Halibut gently poached in vermouth and butter under a blanket of butter lettuce, finished with a bright chive and lemon pan sauce.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 1
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Seafood
Cuisine: Modern American
Calories: 259
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 6 ounces halibut
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 ounce vermouth
  • 1 shallot sliced
  • 2 ounces water
  • 1 extra large butter lettuce leaf
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • 1 tablespoon chives finely chopped
  • Lemon to taste

Equipment

  • 8-inch sauté pan
  • Spoon for basting
  • Small saucepan
  • Fish Spatula

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Season the halibut lightly with kosher salt.
  3. In a cold 8-inch sauté pan, layer in this order: 1 tablespoon butter, 1 oz vermouth, 1 sliced shallot, the halibut fillet, and 1 large butter lettuce leaf placed directly on top of the fish.
  4. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook, presentation side down, for 4 minutes.
  5. Carefully remove the pan from the oven, flip the halibut, and return to the oven for another 3 minutes.
  6. Remove the pan from the oven and gently transfer the fish and lettuce to a warm plate to rest.
  7. Set the pan over medium-high heat and reduce the poaching liquid by two-thirds until slightly thickened.
  8. Finish the sauce with a squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and 1 tablespoon chopped chives.
  9. Spoon the sauce over the halibut and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 33gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 229mgPotassium: 839mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 246IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 1mg

Notes

Storage: This is a cook-and-serve-now dish. Poached halibut is delicate and overcooks fast on reheat, so there's no good way to hold it. If you have leftovers, warm the fish very gently, low heat, with a bit of the pan sauce, just until barely warmed through.

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