Sous Vide Halibut Fillets with Blood Orange Sauce

With thick fillets of snowy, succulent flesh, halibut is one of my favorite fish to cook. Best yet, wild halibut is rated a top choice by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s “Seafood Watch Guide’’ for sustainability. You don’t have to do much to halibut — just don’t overcook it. That’s why cooking the fish with a precision cooker is ideal. The gentle, constant heat ensures the halibut is extra moist and succulent. In the time it takes to cook the fish, you can make an easy citrus sauce from fresh-squeezed blood oranges. This crimson-fleshed fruit has an intense flavor that’s reminiscent of oranges mixed with raspberries. Reduce the juice on the stovetop until it gets syrupy, then stir in a pinch of brown sugar and a splash of fish sauce. Drizzle over the fish and garnish with spring onions. Serve with steamed rice and some simply cooked green veggies, and dinner is done — in no time flat.

Author

Carolyn Jung

Carolyn Jung is a James Beard Award-winning Bay Area food journalist, whose work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Every Day with Rachael Ray, Coastal Living, Via magazine, Food Arts, Edible Silicon Valley, Wine Spectator and other publications. She is the former staff food writer for the San Jose Mercury News. Her debut cookbook "San Francisco Chef's Table'' published in December 2013. She is also the creator of the acclaimed blog, FoodGal.com.

Prep Time: 00:20

Recipe Time: 00:30

Temperature : 129.2F / 54C

Ingredients

• 2 (5- to 6-ounce) skinless halibut fillets
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon light brown sugar
• 2 blood oranges, rind and pith removed, flesh cut into segments
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 129ºF (54ºC).
2. Season halibut fillets with salt and pepper. Place in a large zipper lock or vacuum seal bag with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique or a vacuum sealer on the moist setting.
3. Place the bag in the water bath and set the timer for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: Bring blood orange juice to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Continue to boil until juice is reduced to a syrup, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the fish sauce and light brown sugar.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath. Remove the halibut from the bag and pat dry.
2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the halibut and sear until golden brown on one side, about 1 minute.
3. Plate the halibut with the blood orange segments. Drizzle with blood orange sauce and top with scallions. Serve.