Description
A classy, fast fish dinner: tender halibut finished with a silky lemon-butter sauce that comes together in minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 halibut fillets (about 6 oz each)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, kept cold and cut into cubes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Prep the fish. Pat the fillets dry with paper towels, then season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Dry fish = better browning.
- Heat the skillet. Warm a sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmering, add a splash of neutral oil if desired.
- Sear the halibut. Place the fillets in the hot pan and don’t move them. Cook until the undersides form a golden crust, about 3–4 minutes, then flip and cook another 3–4 minutes until the fish flakes easily. Transfer the fillets to a warm plate.
- Build the sauce. Keep the pan on medium. Pour in the white wine and lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let the liquid simmer until it has reduced to roughly half its original volume.
- Enrich with cream. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer briefly—about 1 minute—so the mixture thickens slightly.
- Emulsify the butter. Turn the heat to low (or remove the pan from direct heat). Whisk in the cold butter cubes a few pieces at a time, letting each melt into the sauce before adding more. Continue until the sauce is smooth and glossy.
- Finish and serve. Spoon the lemon beurre blanc over the halibut, scatter chopped parsley on top, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Keep the butter cold and add it slowly; this helps the sauce emulsify instead of separating.
- Do not boil the sauce after adding butter — high heat will cause it to break.
- For best sear, make sure the fillets are dry before they hit the pan.
- Serve right away so the sauce stays silky.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480
- Sodium: 320mg
- Fat: 36g
- Saturated Fat: 22g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 160mg