Butter-poached white fish
White fish gently cooked in a pool of melted butter. The fat protects the delicate flesh from drying out. Twelve minutes, restaurant-level result.
- Variant
- carnivore dairy
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 8 min
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 012 white fish fillets, skinless, 200 g each (snapper, cod, barramundi)
- 02200 g butter
- 03Salt
Method
Pat the fish fillets dry. Season both sides with salt. Let them sit at room temperature while you prepare the butter.
In a small heavy pan or saucepan (one that just fits the fillets in a single layer), melt the butter over the lowest heat. The butter should melt completely but not bubble or brown.
Slide the fish fillets into the melted butter. The butter should partially submerge them — not fully cover. If your pan is wider, the butter will be thinner; in that case spoon butter over the tops as they cook.
Maintain very low heat for 7-9 minutes. The butter should not bubble. The fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork — internal temperature around 55C for fillets up to 2 cm thick.
Lift the fish onto warm plates with a slotted spatula. Spoon some of the melted butter over the top.
Strain the remaining butter into a jar — it captures fish flavour and is excellent for cooking eggs the next morning.