The fillets can be cut into smaller servings if desired before cooking
Poaching fish is my favorite way to cook fillets. The liquid used can be very simple or very complex. Sometimes I will reduce it into a sauce afterward, and sometimes I like to leave it as a thin broth. This recipe is very quick and is perfect for a nice weekday meal or second course in a large dinner party. Always use fresh fish with firm flesh.
I like to buy whole fish and fillet them myself. Then I use the bones and heads to make a quick fish stock. The butcher should be able to cut the fish into fillets for you if that is too much work.
Poached Fish
- 1 1/2 lbs fish fillets, skin still on
- 3 cups fish stock
- 4 garlic cloves sliced into long slivers
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- Salt/pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Season fillets with salt and pepper. In a saute pan large enough to hold all fish in one layer, heat olive oil and fry garlic until it begins to brown, about a minute. Add stock and cilantro and bring to a boil then turn down to a medium simmer. Place fish skin side up and cook until done, about 7 minutes. Remove fish from pan and tent with foil to keep warm. The sauce can be thickened with cream and reduced or poured over fish as a broth right away. The fillets can be served in a bowl with bread as a simple soup, over rice or pasta or however desired.
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Just the smell of garlic, olive oil and fish makes my taste buds excited 😉
What a wonderful dish – clean, simple flavours. I tried filleting a fish one and ended up with the smallest fillets ever haha. I now ask my fishmonger to do it for me and he does it in 2 seconds flat, leaving absolutely clean bones.
You had me with cilantro and garlic! I adore the earthy cilantro and the heady garlic, combined with the subtle fish, WOW! I’m definitely steeling this one from you!
This sounds delicious! It’s perfect for one of our weeknight meals. I’m still not up for filleting a fish myself, so I’ll have the fish guy do it for me. 🙂
I so rarely poach fish but you sure do make it sound delicious. I’ll have to give this a try. Thanks, Greg.
When I poach fish I usually follow G. Ramsay’s style where he wraps in a cling warp then dropping it in the boiling water, try it it locks a lot of flavour
Beautiful food.
I have sea bass that will suit this recipe perfectly! Yum, Greg.
Great poaching liquid…I hope you can convince at least a few people that fish with bones is acceptable. I fought that battle for years. Even had a guy come in and demand a refund because there was a bone in his fillet…
That looks just fabulous…simple and respectful of the briny fish flavors!
Simple and gorgeous!
perfect, I love fish with coriander(as we call it here)!
I’ve never poached fish before, something about it always concerned me. But this looks great. It’s probably all the garlic. That rice side looks pretty darn tasty too.
I’m in love with all the cilantro!
Can you believe I’ve never poached fish before?! I think this has inspired me to finally jump in with both fins. Thanks for the recipe!
Reblogged this on A Single Serving and commented:
This is so simple, and so easily adapted to cooking for one that I just had to share it.
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