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Home » Fish » Butter Poached Fish

Butter Poached Fish

By Hank Shaw on June 16, 2016, Updated June 15, 2020 - 38 Comments

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5 from 16 votes
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butter poached halibut on a summer salad
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

I have no idea why more people don’t poach their fish in butter or olive oil. Butter-poached fish is silky and luxurious, yet surprisingly light. It is ridiculously easy to pull off, and works with anything from halibut to perch to salmon, trout, snapper, you name it.

Actually, I do know why. It is the elephant in the room. Every time a chef or cooking personality extols the idea of gently cooking fish in a flavorful fat or oil, if you listen clearly you can hear most of the audience whisper: What on earth am I going to do with all that excess butter?

It is a fair question, and is the answer why butter poached fish is a lot less popular than fried fish — although, if you think about it, you are often using as much oil or butter in either case.

The answer is the same as it is with fryer oil: Save it and use it again. In both butter poaching and frying, you simply run the melted butter or oil through a paper towel to strain out any bits and into a container. You can leave the oil on the counter, but keep the butter in the fridge.

But won’t it be fishy? A little, but not unpleasantly so. It’ll be fine with another fish or seafood dish, but you wouldn’t want to put this butter on, say, chicken. For example, I poached this halibut in butter, and then used the butter again with some crab.

Why not use salted butter? Well, you could, but I find that in many cases using salted butter results in very salty fish. Professionally, I never use salted butter because I want to control the amount of salt. I recommend that you do, too.

Now that we have the elephant safely shuttled from the room, let me tell you again why you really want to add butter poaching to your cooking repertoire. It results in a wonderful, wonderful piece of fish. Now don’t get me wrong, I love fried fish probably more than most people. Hell, I even did an entire podcast about frying fish. But even I can get tired of it during fishing season, when I can eat fish or seafood many times a week.

So why not poach fish in broth or even salted water? Well, you certainly can, and it’s great for a fatty fish. I love poached salmon, especially with a horseradish cream.

But here’s the thing: When you poach in butter or olive oil or some other flavorful oil, you get just enough fat permeating the fish to make it silky. This is a huge deal with very lean, white fish — particularly freshwater fish. Cook a piece of walleye or bass or bluegill this way and you’ll be amazed. It can actually start to taste a little like lobster.

I normally just use butter, but you can flavor the butter with the herb or spice of your choice. Saffron or curry powder will turn the fish bright yellow, for example.

butter poached fish on the plate
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

You gently cook the fish, too, so it will not seize up like fish tossed into boiling water, or over-fried. You get that pretty flake, and as the flakes begin to separate just a little, the butter seeps in. The texture is remarkable.

Finally, butter poaching is ridiculously easy. Easier than frying, believe it or not. Salt fish, melt butter, submerge fish in butter for 10 minutes or so, remove, eat. Try it. You’ll see.

butter poached halibut on a summer salad
Print Recipe
5 from 16 votes

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 Time20 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 76kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

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

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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

Calories: 76kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 603mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 474IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg
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Filed Under: Featured, Fish, Recipe

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Avatar for HeatherHeather says

    November 7, 2020 at 2:51 am

    This was so simple and delicious, I just used cod that was on sale at the supermarket. I saved the rest of the butter for making steamed clams later.

    Reply
  2. Avatar for SusieSusie says

    August 18, 2020 at 4:32 pm

    this sounds interesting…always looking for new ideas.
    76kcal…76,000 calories??
    Am I seeing this correctly?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      August 18, 2020 at 5:07 pm

      Susie: Nope. What we call calories in common parlance is actually kilo calories, scientifically speaking.

      Reply
  3. Avatar for ReneeRenee says

    June 2, 2020 at 6:37 pm

    I made this and it came out nicely though I didn’t drain the salad part. It wasn’t too rich and I didn’t have to use a lot of seasoning. This was a very refreshing lunch for me as I’m always looking for different ways to cook fish.

    Reply
  4. Avatar for jennajenna says

    April 23, 2020 at 4:12 pm

    what if the halibut has the skin on?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      April 23, 2020 at 4:24 pm

      Jenna: Remove it.

      Reply
      • Avatar for JennaJenna says

        May 8, 2020 at 3:27 pm

        Thanks! How long can the poaching butter last in the fridge? I know the date of the butter, but does it have less time once used to poach?

      • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

        May 9, 2020 at 8:25 am

        Jenna: If I am not going to use it within a week or so, I freeze it, where it should last a long time.

  5. Avatar for Anitra MathisAnitra Mathis says

    October 26, 2019 at 9:19 am

    Thank you for explaining how this works. Now I don’t feel intimidated by this technique.

    Reply
  6. Avatar for DevinDevin says

    June 13, 2019 at 7:51 pm

    If you fillet a mess of fish (e.g. bluegill) late at night, how would you suggest storing the fish until the next afternoon or evening for a meal? In the fridge, obviously, but would you cover with a marinade or something?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      June 17, 2019 at 4:26 pm

      Devin: I’d just lay them in a try and cover them with plastic.

      Reply
  7. Avatar for LeeLee says

    June 2, 2019 at 2:14 pm

    Hey Hank, are the veggies all raw? I just worry that a cold bed will cool the fish too much, but I’m not a very experienced cook, so tell me if I’m wrong or if it doesn’t matter that it cool some. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      June 2, 2019 at 3:44 pm

      Lee: Yes, they are all raw, but at room temperature. Should be fine.

      Reply
  8. Avatar for NicoleNicole says

    December 7, 2018 at 5:41 am

    It does say 1/4 C white wine or rice vinegar. I was wondering the same although reading through other recipes, I’ve found that seasoning the pan with the wine with the herbs before melting the butter is a technique that interested me. I get the vinegar with the veggies but probably not the wine part 🙂 . Love every single recipe of yours so far Hank! Looking forward to ordering your cookbook now that you have signed copies back in! WooHoo!

    Reply
  9. Avatar for shelleyshelley says

    July 19, 2018 at 7:40 pm

    i cannot see what to do with the wine?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      July 20, 2018 at 11:04 am

      Shelley: What wine? There is no wine in this recipe. Wine vinegar yes, but that goes with the vegetables.

      Reply
      • Avatar for Maria RamirezMaria Ramirez says

        July 21, 2020 at 2:47 am

        There is wine in the list of ingredients but it’s nowhere in the recipe

      • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

        July 21, 2020 at 7:31 am

        Maria: Nope, there isn’t, but I could be clearer: That 1/4 cup of white wine vinegar, or rice vinegar, is for the salad.

  10. Avatar for ScottScott says

    December 13, 2017 at 3:59 am

    Would sour vide with butter in the bag give similar results? It would take less butter

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      December 13, 2017 at 7:54 am

      Scott: Yes, it does, but you get weird plastic bag marks on the fish then.

      Reply
  11. Avatar for maggie belle herrmaggie belle herr says

    August 12, 2017 at 7:17 am

    We were recently blessed with 6 pounds of fresh Canadian walleye fillets and I tried the butter poaching recipe with 1.5 lbs and it was Fabulous ! My husband said it is the best walleye he has ever had and I can make fish this way every week !!! ( our elk hunting son in law said the way I prepared your recipe for elk /venison roast low and slow was the best Elk he has ever tasted also ; )

    Reply
  12. Avatar for Linda F Peterson AdamsLinda F Peterson Adams says

    May 5, 2017 at 11:03 am

    Really love that butter poached fish. Have also put a vanilla bean in the poach for halibut and sturgeon. Also like to poach salmon in coconut milk, preserved lemon or lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves.

    Reply
  13. Avatar for Andy McLaughlinAndy McLaughlin says

    April 29, 2017 at 8:33 pm

    Have made Hank’s butter poached halibut a few times. so very easy and so worth the effort of making repeatedly. As if halibut is not good enough, this makes it even better. We joke and call it poor man’s lobster. Do yourself a favor and try this, It will not disappoint.

    Reply
  14. Avatar for WilliamWilliam says

    July 31, 2016 at 5:05 pm

    Hank thank you for the reply and clarification. My favorite family just wrapped up supper. I tried this with some flounder, redfish, and trout I hauled in last week on the Texas coast and all I can say is wow. This may have been the best fish I have ever eaten. Every family member is content with a full belly. I need to get some more fish. Thanks again Hank!

    Reply
  15. Avatar for WilliamWilliam says

    July 31, 2016 at 10:32 am

    Hank I am confused. Am I cooking the fish only in the butter for 10 to 15 minutes or am I starting the fish in the butter and finishing the fish in the oven at 325 for 15 more minutes?
    On another note my wife and I Love several of your venison recipes. Specifically Venison Steak w/Wild Rice Pilaf (Absolutly Awesome!)

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      July 31, 2016 at 12:29 pm

      William: You are only cooking the fish in butter for 10 to 15 minutes. If it is a very thick piece of fish, and you want it cooked all the way through, then you can put it into the oven.

      Reply
  16. Avatar for EricEric says

    June 17, 2016 at 2:57 pm

    I tried some halibut with my sous vide cooker… The result: AWESOME!
    Salmon, too. And I agree, flakier is better than at some lower temperatures.

    Reply
  17. Avatar for Mark LeonardMark Leonard says

    June 17, 2016 at 10:36 am

    Sounds amazing, would like to adapt this for sous vide. What final temp are you shooting for on the fish?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      June 17, 2016 at 11:25 am

      Mark: Whatever you’d like. I prefer flaky fish, myself, which is about 140 to 145 degrees.

      Reply
  18. Avatar for Scott LinkScott Link says

    June 16, 2016 at 6:33 pm

    Clarified butter?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      June 17, 2016 at 7:27 am

      Scott: Doesn’t have to be. Regular butter is fine.

      Reply
  19. Avatar for LouisLouis says

    June 16, 2016 at 12:36 pm

    This sounds awesome, Hank. Will give it a try. Thanks, fratello. 🙂

    Reply
  20. Avatar for Elie NassarElie Nassar says

    June 16, 2016 at 7:55 am

    I use sous vide to “butter poach” fish or other seadood. It’s another way to significantly reduce how much fat you need since the protein is surrounded by the oil or butter in the bag.

    Reply
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Hi, my name is Hank Shaw. I am a James Beard Award-winning author and chef and I focus my energies on wild foods: Foraging, fishing, hunting. I write cookbooks as well as this website, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild game, fish, or edible wild plants and mushrooms, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

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