Sous Vide Halibut
By Sous Vide Guy Seafood Sous Vide
September 28, 2017
Halibut is traditionally a firm fish, which makes it great for searing. Since the fish is usually pretty firm, it also tends to become really dry with traditional cooking methods. Sous vide lets you ensure the halibut stays perfectly moist and flaky, while still being able to obtain an amazing golden brown sear.
- Prep: 5 mins
- Cook: 45 mins
Ingredients
2 Halibut Filets; I ordered mine from Omaha Steaks.
2 Tbs Butter
Fresh Dill
Lemon
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Temperature
[140F for 45 minutes] Traditional texture (a bit tougher) and much more dry than the temperatures below.
[130F for 45 minutes] My favorite temperature as it's moist but still firm enough to sear it without worrying about it falling apart.
[120F for 45 minutes] Most tender, but still nearly raw.
Directions
1Dry brine halibut by generously salting both sides (or use a 50/50 ratio of salt/sugar) and place back in refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
2Preheat water bath to your desired temperature shown above; I prefer 130F.
3Gently place the halibut filets in a Ziploc bag. Add a bit of oil and fresh dill to the bag. Place into the water bath using the water displacement method.
4Cook for 45 minutes, or about an hour and 15 minutes if frozen.
5Remove from water bath and gently pat the halibut dry with paper towels. This is crucial for obtaining a nice quick sear.
6Pre-heat a cast iron or stainless steel pan with avocado oil on medium-high/high heat.
7Add halibut, followed by a tablespoon or two of butter and fresh herbs.
8Baste the halibut with butter as it cooks, 1-2 minutes (you only need to sear the one side).
9Remove and serve!
4 Reviews
mark
July 3, 2020
This did not go well. Dry brined for 5 hours and rinsed the salt off. Set the sous vide for 130 for an hour. The halibut basically disintegrated into small chunks when it hit the skillet and was super salty to the taste. I will not use this recipe again. If I did I would skip the dry brining and sous vide to 120.
Mike
March 30, 2019
Very tasty although I’ve found that cooking times vary depending on the thickness of the fish you have. Most cut of fish here are 1″ thick which cooks nicely in 30 minutes where a 2″ thick cut cooks in 45 mins to an hour. For a 1″ thick cut at 130F for 30 mins is wonderful. Thanks for the recipe above… appreciate it!
Amy Tokic
December 19, 2018
This is the first time the halibut has turned out flaky and moist for me. I think it’s because I hadn’t been patting the fish with a paper towel after taking it out of the water.
Andy O.
April 3, 2021
We listened to a review from mike for a 1” piece. 30 minutes was perfect. Very quick, easy and delicious meal.