halibut troncon

Bone-In Halibut Tronçon with Sous Vide Vegetables

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A cocotte ups the presentation ante for this elegant sous vide halibut.

Ingredients

Halibut:

6 lbs halibut, portioned into 4 servings
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ Tbsp shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp sea salt
3 whole black peppercorns
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 lb frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed according to box directions

Sauce:

1 C dry white wine
2 Tbsp shallots, minced
1½ C heavy cream
6 Tbsp butter

Vegetables:

1 C carrot, cut into coins
1 C parsnip, cut into coins
⅓ C rutabaga, medium diced
⅓ C leek, sliced½ inch thick
4 heads baby bok choy, cleaned and halved
½ C red radish, sliced ¼ inch thick
5 sprigs fresh parsley
¼ tsp vadouvan (substitute garam masala if unavailable)
5 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided into 1 tsp portions
2½ tsp sea salt, divided into ½ tsp portions

Overview

Equipment

  • Sous vide circulator
  • Sous vide pouches
  • Vacuum sealer
  • Skillet
  • Baking sheet
  • Silicone mat or parchment paper
  • Cocotte
  • Pastry brush

Timing

Prepping time: 1 hour / Cooking time: 1 hour and 20 minutes (excludes sous vide cooking)

Servings

4 servings

Directions

For the Halibut:

  1. Remove scales from whole halibut, then remove head. Remove only the dark side of the skin and keep the white bottom side intact. Remove belly half of halibut. Portion the top half into four 4½–5 ounce portions.

  2. In a hot skillet, saute olive oil, rosemary, thyme, and garlic for 1–2 minutes, then sear halibut portions, skin side down, for 2 minutes or until crispy.

  3. Place halibut portions onto a sheet tray lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper and chill for 30 minutes.

  4. Seal the halibut in a sous vide pouch with lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Cook at 129.2°F (54°C) for 30 minutes. Once halibut is done, immediately place the pouch in an ice-water bath.

For the Sauce:

  1. In the same skillet, cook shallots for 3–5 minutes or until translucent, then add white wine. Add heavy cream and lower heat to simmer.

  2. Slowly incorporate butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, and whisk until fully incorporated. Be sure not to boil.

  3. Simmer and reduce for 10–15 minutes. Strain solids, salt to taste, and reserve sauce.

For the Vegetables:

  1.  With the exception of the baby bok choy, place each of the vegetable ingredients into individual large sous vide bags (e.g., carrots in one bag, parsnips in another). Add 1 sprig of parsley, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of oil to each bag. Add vadouvan (or garam masala as a substitute) to carrots. When placing the vegetables in the bags, spread as evenly and flat as possible to ensure even cooking.

  2. Seal all bags and cook at 181.4°F (83°C) for 1 hour. After cooking, immediately chill vegetables in an ice bath.

  3. Blanch baby bok choy in boiling water with salt for 45 seconds. Transfer to an ice bath and reserve.

To Assemble:

  1. In a cold cocotte, place cooled vegetables with halibut on top, then place the lid on the cocotte.

  2. Roll the thawed puff pastry dough into a thin rope, about ½-inch in diameter. Brush egg wash along the edges of the the lid where it meets the cocotte basin. Place the dough along the rim of the lid and firmly seal all edges.

  3. Brush dough rim with egg wash and cook in a preheated oven at 425°F (218°C) for 35 minutes. Remove cocotte from oven and lift the lid to open crust.

To Serve:

Plate the vegetables and fish, and serve sauce either on the side or on top of the fish.

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