Big halibut are undeniably the most exciting to reel in, but they're not always the most enjoyable to eat. Tough, firm-fleshed fish is effortlessly softened through sous vide cooking. The result is a perfectly cooked piece of fish that flakes easily and melts in your mouth. Give it a try today!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
Simple Ingredients: Flaky white fish gets a flavor infusion of gentle aromatics, enhancing its delicate taste with subtle nuances that create a truly delightful and memorable dining experience. You only need a few simple ingredients to make this stunning dish!
Tender, Flaky Fish: The sous vide technique tenderizes layers of firm flesh and turns them into tender, flaky morsels that melt in your mouth. This is the perfect recipe for thicker, firm halibut fillets. You'll never want to cook them any other way!
Consistent Results: Sous vide cooking is much more reliable than traditional cooking methods because you can easily control the internal temperature of the fish. You can sous vide the fish at lower temperatures for a more rare filet, or increase the temperature for fully cooked fish. You can be sure that you will cook your fillets to the exact temperature you choose, regardless of the temperature you select!
Ingredient Notes:
- Halibut: Halibut is a large flatfish, known for its impressive size and distinct diamond-shaped body that makes it a prized catch for anglers and a culinary delight for seafood enthusiasts. The filets come from the side of the fish. The size of the fish determines the thickness of the fish fillets. You can use any firm, white fish fillets (like cod or seabass) you have available to you in place of halibut.
- Lemon: It's important to not add too much acid to the fish while it cooks, otherwise it can become mushy. This recipe uses a small amount of lemon zest during the cooking process with a squeeze of lemon juice at the end to add a pop of bright flavor.
- Fresh Thyme: You can use other fresh herbs like rosemary or oregano in place of thyme. You can also omit the herbs completely.
Equipment Notes:
- Vacuum Sealer: While using the sous vide method without a vacuum sealer requires a bit more effort, you can accomplish it. The water displacement method uses water to remove the air from a ziploc bag instead of using a vacuum bag.
- Sous Vide Machine: A sous vide machine is also known as an immersion circulator.
Using a machine eliminates the guesswork in sous vide cooking by maintaining the water at a precise temperature, but you can achieve it without one. Check out this resource on sous vide cooking without a machine. - Cast Iron Skillet: A cast iron skillet is the perfect complementary piece of equipment for sous vide cooking. Since the fish is mostly cooked in the sous vide water bath, you need a very hot pan to quickly sear the fish without overcooking it. A cast iron pan holds heat better than most other pans but you can use another heavy skillet.
- Fish Spatula: A fish spatula is a specialized kitchen utensil designed for flipping and serving delicate fish fillets without breaking them apart. While you can use a normal spatula for flipping fish, I highly recommend investing in a fish spatula if you cook a lot of fish!
What is Sous Vide?
Sous vide translates to "under vacuum" in French. Sous vide is a method of cooking that involves the process of vacuum-sealing food and immersing it in a precisely controlled warm water bath. Typically, you season the meat or fish and cook it in its own juices for varying amounts of time depending on the type of meat or fish used.
One of the main benefits of sous vide cooking is keeping the water at a precise temperature and keeping the internal temperature of the meat or fish at the same temperature as the water.
So, the fish never overcooks while it is in the water bath. However, fish can become mushy or grainy if you leave it in the water bath for too long, so it's important to adjust the cooking time depending on the type and cut of meat used.
Step by Step Instructions:
How To Prepare Halibut Filets to Sous Vide:
Halibut is a mild-flavored fish so it does well with simple ingredients. Read below for how to prepare halibut for cooking.
If your halibut filets have the skin on, remove it with a filet knife. Remove any bones.
Pat the halibut filets dry with paper towels.
Season halibut all over with salt, black pepper, and lemon zest.
Place the seasoned halibut filets in small individual vacuum bags. Place ½ tablespoon of butter, 2 sprigs of thyme, and 1 clove of garlic per filet/bag.
Seal the bags with a vacuum sealer.
Refrigerate the bags of halibut for 3-4 hours before cooking. This allows the salt to tenderize the fish.
Pro Tip: If your vacuum bags have a smooth side and a textured side, make sure the presentation side (top of the fish filet) is on the smooth side for a more polished presentation.
How to Sous Vide Halibut Filets:
Once you season the halibut and vacuum-seal it, it's time to cook!
Fill a large pot or other large container with water. Heat the sous vide machine to 125°F.
Place the bags with halibut in the preheated water bath and cook for 1 hour.
Remove the bags from the water bath. Remove the halibut filets from the bags and pat them dry with paper towels.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and let it melt.
Place halibut filets in the hot skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes per side or until the outside has been browned without overcooking the inside. Use a fish spatula to carefully flip the fish in the pan.
Remove the filets from the pan. While the halibut rests, drizzle the hot butter from the pan over the top and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Let the fish rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Pro Tip: When using the sous vide cooking method for fish, there's a fine line between perfectly cooked and mushy. Don't cook the fish in the water bath for more than 1 hour for perfectly cooked halibut!
What to Serve with Sous Vide Halibut:
Pair bright flavors with sous vide halibut for the best dining experience. Pair with white wine and a simple side like fennel orange salad or a green salad with homemade dressing. No matter how you choose to serve it, you're going to love this halibut recipe!
Recipe FAQ's:
Halibut is an excellent choice for sous vide cooking. For best results, choose thicker filets with firm flesh. The sous vide method tenderizes the fish and results in tender, flaky fillets.
Halibut can be sous vide at several different temperatures depending on the desired doneness. I prefer sous viding halibut at 120 degrees F to prevent it from getting overcooked after a quick sear.
Sous vide is a great way to avoid overcooking halibut because it keeps the fish at your desired temperature without overcooking it.
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Recipe:
Sous Vide Halibut
Ingredients
- 2 halibut filets (preferably thick filets, 8 oz each)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 tablespoon salted butter, divided
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
Instructions
- If your halibut filets have the skin on, remove it with a filet knife. Remove any bones.
- Pat the halibut filets dry with paper towels. Season all over with salt, black pepper, and lemon zest.
- Place the seasoned halibut filets in small individual vacuum bags. Place ½ tablespoon of butter, 2 sprigs of thyme, and 1 clove of garlic per filet/bag.
- Seal the bags with a vacuum sealer. Refrigerate the bags of halibut for 3-4 hours before cooking. This allows the salt to tenderize the fish.
- Fill a large pot or other large container with water. Heat the sous vide machine to 125°F. Place the bags with halibut in the heated water bath and cook for 1 hour.
- Remove the bags from the water bath. Remove the halibut filets from the bags and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and let it melt.
- Place halibut filets in the hot skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes per side or until the outside has been browned. Use a fish spatula to carefully flip the fish in the pan.
- Remove the filets from the pan. While the halibut rests, drizzle the hot butter from the pan over the top and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Let the fish rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use any firm, white fish fillets (like cod or seabass) you have available to you in place of halibut.
- It's important to not add too much acid to the fish while it cooks, otherwise it can become mushy. This recipe uses a small amount of lemon zest during the cooking process with a squeeze of lemon juice at the end to brighten the flavor.
- You can use other fresh herbs like rosemary or oregano in place of thyme. You can also omit the herbs completely.
- While using the sous vide method without a vacuum sealer requires a bit more effort, you can accomplish it. The water displacement method uses water to remove the air from a ziploc bag instead of using a vacuum bag.
- Using a machine eliminates the guesswork in sous vide cooking by maintaining the water at a precise temperature, but you can achieve it without one. Check out this resource on sous vide cooking without a machine.
- A cast iron skillet is the perfect complementary piece of equipment for sous vide cooking. Since the fish is mostly cooked in the sous vide water bath, you need a very hot pan to quickly sear the fish without overcooking it.
- While you can use a normal spatula for flipping fish, I highly recommend investing in a fish spatula if you cook a lot of fish!
- If your vacuum bags have a smooth side and a textured side, make sure the presentation side (top of the fish filet) is on the smooth side for a more polished presentation.
- When using the sous vide cooking method for fish, there's a fine line between perfectly cooked and mushy. Don't cook the fish in the water bath for more than 1 hour for perfectly cooked halibut!
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