This is a simple recipe for poached fish, along with some tips on how to do it right. You can poach fish in wine, broth, or other liquids. Virtually any fish or seafood works with this method.
First, I want to make it clear that this is not a recipe for butter or oil poached fish. There’s a different recipe for butter poached fish over there if that’s what you want.
What I’m talking about here is true poaching in a liquid that isn’t fatty. Sure, it could be just water, but that’s borderline revolting. You can use literally anything, so the choice is yours. Here is a Japanese-inspired recipe that I really like.
I’ve seen fish poached in tomato juice, wine, beer, even 7-Up and cola. They’ll all cook fish, and each imparts its own flavor.
Fish that is lean should be poached in oil, and fish that is fat should be poached in something like broth, sake, wine, or cheese. This, as with everything in this world, is a guideline, not dogma. Butter poached salmon is amazing, as is burbot poached in 7-Up, weirdly enough….
You want your liquid to be below the simmer. That’s typically around 160°F. Hot enough to kill germs and parasites, but not hot enough to wreak havoc with delicate fish flesh.
Don’t believe me? Try it sometime. Take two pieces of fish that are exactly the same, like the fillets from one fish. Boil one and let the other one cook slowly. You will definitely notice the difference. Hard-boiled fish is dry and chalky. Perfectly poached fish is juicy and delicate.
When you move poached fish or seafood from where it’s cooking to where it’s going to be served, be careful not to break it up. Using two spatulas helps a lot for larger pieces.
With very delicate fish, like flounder, sole, small walleye and such, leave the skin on. Why? Because it will help hold the pieces together. Serve with the skin facing up. You can a) carefully peel it off and throw it away, or b) use a torch to make it crispy.
Make the poaching liquid flavorful — almost too flavorful. Because the seafood or fish will only be swimming in it for a short time, giving the poached fish not much time to pick up the flavor.
Because of this, simmering the liquid until it’s just right can take a lot of the time it takes to make poached fish. Cooking the fish itself often takes less than 10 minutes.
Use interesting fats at the end. This is where you bust out the fancy olive oil, or pumpkinseed oil or flavored butter. I absolutely love poached fish finished with a little Ethiopian niter kibbeh, a bright yellow, heavily spiced butter.
Go sour or spicy. It’s good for you and the fish’s flavor to poach it. In fact, poaching fish might be the healthiest way to cook fish. But you’ll want a counterpoint somewhere on the plate. For this recipe, I put pickled mustard greens under the fish and added just a pinch of togarashi, which is a Japanese spice mix.
How Long Does It Take to Poach White Fish? A Complete Guide
White fish like cod, halibut, and tilapia are delicious, quick-cooking, and nutritious. Poaching is one of the healthiest ways to prepare white fish since no added fat is used. It results in tender, flaky fish that practically melts in your mouth.
If you’ve never poached fish before you may be wondering how long does it take to poach white fish to perfection? Read on for a complete guide to poaching white fish including timing, tips, tricks, and my favorite poaching recipes.
What is Poaching?
Poaching is a moist-heat cooking method where food is gently simmered in liquid. The poaching liquid can be plain water, broth, wine, milk, or juice.
For fish, a poaching temperature between 140-180°F is ideal. This low gentle heat allows the fish to cook evenly without overcooking the outer layers.
Poaching does not require adding any oil or butter making it one of the leanest cooking methods. The poaching liquid imparts subtle flavor to the fish.
Benefits of Poaching Fish
There are many benefits to poaching fish:
- It’s very healthy since no added fats are used
- The fish cooks evenly and remains tender
- The fish won’t dry out or overcook
- Lean, flaky fish absorbs flavor from poaching liquid
- Easy cleanup with minimal dishes used
Best Fish for Poaching
The best fish to poach are thicker, meatier white fish fillets that hold together well while cooking such as:
- Cod
- Halibut
- Mahi mahi
- Sea bass
- Tilapia
- Snapper
- Sole
- Trout
- Salmon
Thinner, more delicate fillets like flounder may fall apart while cooking. Fish steaks like tuna, swordfish, or salmon also poach nicely and hold their shape.
How Long Does It Take to Poach White Fish?
The poaching time depends mainly on two factors:
-
Thickness of the fillets
-
Poaching temperature
Thinner 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch fillets take 5-8 minutes. A thicker 1-inch fillet may take 12-15 minutes.
Fish steaks and salmon fillets take 10-15 minutes.
Here are general poaching times for white fish:
- 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch fillets: 5-8 minutes
- 3⁄4 to 1 inch fillets: 8-12 minutes
- 1 to 11⁄2 inch fillets: 12-15 minutes
- Steaks or salmon fillets: 10-15 minutes
Keep the poaching liquid between 140°F and 180°F. Higher temperatures will overcook the fish. If you gently simmer around 160°F-170°F, the fish can’t overcook.
Use a thermometer and stop cooking when fish reaches 140°F internally. When tested with a fork, the fish will flake easily showing it’s cooked through.
Tips for Poaching Fish Perfectly
Follow these tips for perfect, tender poached fish every time:
- Pat fish dry before poaching so it doesn’t splash when added to the liquid
- Use an instant-read thermometer and stop cooking when fish reaches 140°F
- Keep liquid at a gentle simmer between 140°F-180°F
- Use a skillet or wide pan so fish can lay flat
- Use enough poaching liquid to easily cover the fish
- Gently move the fish halfway through cooking for even exposure
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook fish in a single layer.
- Allow fish to rest 2-3 minutes after cooking
- Serve poached fish immediately before it cools and overcooks
Flavorful Poaching Liquids
For the most flavor, poach fish in more than just plain water. Try one of these poaching liquids:
- Chicken or fish stock
- White wine, broth, and aromatics
- Milk, cream, or half and half
- Coconut milk
- Tomato juice or crushed tomatoes
- Beer or hard cider
Sample Poaching Recipes
These sample poached fish recipes highlight five flavorful poaching liquids perfect for white fish. The poaching times are based on 1-inch thick fish fillets or steaks. Thinner or thicker pieces may cook faster or slower.
- Lemon-Wine Poached Cod
- 1⁄2 cup dry white wine
- 1⁄2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 4 (5-6 oz) cod fillets
Bring poaching liquid to 160°F-180°F. Add cod and poach 10-12 minutes until fish flakes and is 140°F internally.
- Coconut Curry Poached Mahi Mahi
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1⁄2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp Thai red curry paste
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 4 (5-6 oz) mahi mahi fillets
Heat poaching liquid to 160°F-180°F. Add mahi mahi and poach 8-10 minutes until fish flakes and is 140°F internally.
- Beer Poached Halibut
- 1 cup beer or hard cider
- 1⁄2 cup clam juice or fish stock
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 4 (5-6 oz) halibut fillets
Bring poaching liquid to 160°F-180°F. Add halibut and poach 10-12 minutes until fish flakes and is 140°F internally.
- Milk Poached Tilapia
- 2 cups milk
- 1⁄4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 (5-6 oz) tilapia fillets
Heat milk mixture to 160°F-180°F. Add tilapia and poach 6-8 minutes until fish flakes and is 140°F internally.
- Tomato Poached Sea Bass
- 1 cup tomato juice
- 1⁄2 cup fish or chicken stock
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 (5-6 oz) sea bass fillets
Bring poaching liquid to 160°F-180°F. Add sea bass and poach 8-10 minutes until fish flakes and is 140°F internally.
Serving Poached Fish
Poached fish makes a light, healthy meal on its own or paired with vegetables or grains. For extra flavor, try one of these serving ideas:
- Top poached fish with sauteed lemon butter, garlic herb sauce, or hollandaise
- Make fish tacos or sandwiches with poached white fish
- Serve over rice, quinoa, or pasta
- Toss with tomatoes, greens, olives, and feta cheese
- Pair with roasted asparagus, brussels sprouts, or carrots
- Add poached fish to soups or chowders
Storing and Reheating Poached Fish
- Store leftover poached fish in an airtight container up to 3 days.
- To reheat, place fish in a skillet with a bit of the poaching liquid gently warmed on the stove or heated briefly in the microwave.
The simplicity of poaching makes it an approachable, healthy cooking technique for white fish. In 10-15 minutes you can have a light, flavorful meal that’s easy to recreate anytime. Use an instant thermometer for perfectly cooked fish.
Vary the poaching liquid to infuse delicious flavors into tilapia, cod, halibut, trout, or any delicate white fish. Serve poached fish simply with lemon and herbs or incorporate it into tacos, sandwiches, salads, and more. This versatile cooking method lets the subtle flavor of the fish shine.
Variations on Poached Fish
This recipe clearly has a Japanese feel to it, but the poaching liquid and finishing ingredients can be changed to make it taste very different.
- Light ale (not a hoppy one) with malt and pepper might be a British way to cook it. Then you could add some melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper.
- To make it French, you would poach it in white or rosé wine, then add butter or crème fraiche, pepper, or even four epices.
- I’ve seen fish poached in everything from green tea and 7-Up to Champagne and whey.
Of course, the traditional cooking liquid for poached fish is a light fish or shellfish stock mixed with a little wine to make it more acidic.
Cold fish salads and fish cakes are two foods that you might want to poach a lot of fish and then use it in those recipes. Poached fish flakes nicely, and will keep a few days in the fridge.
If you have poached fish left over, you can make fish cakes or a “tunafish” salad with your own fish. You can also add it to soups and stews, rice, or pasta.
If you liked this recipe, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below; I’d love to hear how everything went. If you’re on Instagram, share a picture and tag me at huntgathercook.
Use this sablefish recipe as a model for your “water” poaching adventures.
How to Poach White Fish | Waitrose
How long does it take to poach fish?
This quick and easy technique turns out tender, flavorful fish in just 15 minutes using water that’s lightly seasoned with white wine, lemon, onion, and garlic. To poach fish, put all the ingredients, except the fish, in a large skillet with high sides and add at least 2 inches of water.
How long does it take to poach a salmon fillet?
A salmon fillet takes approximately 10 minutes to poach without a thermometer. The poaching time will vary depending on the thickness of the fish. Remember that as long as the water does not rise above 140 degrees, you will not overcook your fish. You can test for doneness by seeing if the flesh flakes easily from the fish.
How do you make fish poached in milk?
To make fish poached in milk, assemble your ingredients. Pour 2 cups (500ml) of whole milk and 1 pinch of salt in a shallow baking dish. Stir the salt into the milk. Set two skinless fillets of fish, each weighing about 1/3 of a pound (150g), into the baking dish.
How do you cook fish perfectly poached?
To cook fish perfectly poached, cook it gently over low heat with no lid or cover and avoid bringing the pot to a boil or even a simmer. This is crucial to prevent the fish from turning out tough or rubbery. Fish is perfectly cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees.