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White Fish and Beurre Blanc

  • Prep time: 10 minutes

  • Total time: 40 minutes

  • Servings:   4

Ingredients

  • 4 each rock fish (6-oz. portions, skin off)
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 1 each shallot (sliced thin)
  • 4 oz. chilled butter (cut into cubes)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • 1+ tablespoon lemon juice (or ½ lemon)


Optional beurre blanc flavor enhancements:

· Chive (¼ cup freshly minced)

· Caviar or other fish roe (1 oz.)

· Dill (1 tablespoon freshly chopped)

Method

For the beurre blanc sauce:

Step 1: In a medium saucepan, add the wine and set it over medium heat. Add in the shallots and allow wine to reduce. Allow everything to simmer over low to medium heat until the liquid cooks down. Once there’s about two+ tablespoons left in the pot, it’s right where it needs to be. (Note: if you waft the smell towards you, it should not “burn” your nose; this means the alcohol is burned off).


Step 2: Add the cold, cut-up butter into the pan one piece at a time, whisking all of the time to fully incorporate/emulsify before adding in another cube. The goal here is to keep it moving so the butter emulsifies gently as it melts, creating a creamy texture (too hot and too fast can break the emulsification). Once all of the butter is incorporated, remove from the heat, strain through a fine mesh strainer into a serving vessel.


Step 3: Season the beurre blanc with salt and a squeeze of lemon (this will brighten the sauce and the fish, giving it a nice balance of freshness and richness). Once complete, leave near the stove in a warm but not hot space while you cook the fish.


Cook the fish:

Step 1: Place fish on damp paper towels removing any excess liquid. Season with sea salt on both sides.


Step 2: Place a large pan over high heat, once the pan is hot, reduce to medium high and add clarified butter or ghee, place fish in pan. Trick: hold fish with one hand, allowing fish to hang lengthwise, skin side facing you, and place the bottom piece of fish in the pan first and gently lay the fish down in pan moving away from you (this movement will ensure any splatter will go away from you).


Step 3: Reduce flame to medium low heat, and allow fish to cook until opaque center. Gently flip fish over in the pan, add 2 tablespoons of butter, cook for approximately 30 more seconds. Fish should be loose in pan and gently cooked through. Remove fish from pan.


Step 4: If you are adding any herbs, caviar, or truffle to your beurre banc, mix them in now.


Step 5: Place fish on serving platter or plate, serve with beurre blanc.


Enjoy fish simply with sauce or with your favorite crispy potato and vegetable. Or serve with an herb salad gently seasoned with lemon juice, salt, and olive oil.