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The Ferguson Recipes – Recipes, Plain & Simple
The Ferguson Recipes

Poached Fish With White Butter Sauce 🌄 💤 ⏳
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Poached Fish With White Butter Sauce
Poached Fish With White Butter Sauce
{Serving suggestion only*}
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Master the art of poached fish with this elegant White Butter Sauce recipe that transforms simple seafood into a gourmet experience. The court bouillon infuses the fish with aromatic complexity while the delicate poaching technique ensures perfectly tender, moist results. The luxurious butter sauce adds richness without overwhelming the fish's natural flavors. Impressive enough for special occasions yet straightforward enough for weeknight cooking, this versatile method works beautifully with bass, cod, snapper, or sole.
No Jump Zone
Ingredients
For the court bouillon:
2 qts. water
2 c. dry white wine
1/4 c. wine vinegar
3 onions, thickly sliced
2 carrots, cut in 1" chunks
4 celery stalks with leaves, cut in 1" chunks
4 parsley sprigs

(continued in the next column ↗️)

2 bay leaves
1 t. finely chopped tarragon or 1/2 t. dried tarragon
1 t. finely chopped thyme or 1/2 t. dried thyme
2 T. salt
10 peppercorns
For the poached fish:
3 or 3 1/2 lb. fish
Directions
Make a court bouillon:
  • In a 6 - 8 quart enameled or stainless-steel pot or soup kettle, bring all the ingredients to a boil over high heat.
  • Partially cover the pot, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Strain through a large, fine sieve into a fish poacher or a large, deep roasting pan which has a cover, and set aside to cool.

For the poached fish:
  • Take the fish and wrap it in a damp cheesecloth leaving 6 inches on each end for "handles" to lift the fish in and out of your pan. (If you have a fish poacher, you may not need the cheesecloth.)
  • When the court bouillon is lukewarm, lower your fish into it.
  • If you use a roasting pan, tie the ends of the cheesecloth by the handles.
  • Be sure the fish is covered by 1 1/2 to 2 inches even if you have to add some water.
  • Cover, and bring to a slow simmer.
  • Cook at a very low simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Then remove the pan from the heat, but leave the fish in 10 or 15 more minutes.
  • Gently lift out the fish by the ends of the cheesecloth.
  • Put it on a cutting board and carefully skin one side.
  • Again, lift the fish gently by the cheesecloth and turn it over onto a heated platter and skin the other side.
  • Now you can decorate then cover the fish to keep it warm.
  • (Save your court bouillon to use as fish stock. )
Link to the White Butter Sauce.
Servings\Yield
Serves 6-8 for an elegant dinner
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Per Serving (based on 6 servings) - Calories: 180; Total Fat: 3g (Saturated Fat: 1g); Cholesterol: 85mg; Sodium: 680mg; Total Carbohydrates: 2g (Dietary Fiber: 0g, Sugars: 1g); Protein: 33g
Note: This nutrition calculation focuses primarily on the fish portion, as most of the court bouillon ingredients (vegetables, herbs, wine) contribute minimal calories and nutrients to the final dish since they're primarily used for flavoring and are not typically consumed. The calculation assumes a typical white fish like cod or halibut. If the white butter sauce were included in the recipe, the fat and calorie content would be significantly higher.
*Nutrition information is provided as a general estimate only. Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients, and is based on available nutrient data. Variations may occur based on ingredient brands and preparation methods.
💬 Uncle Dave says... To cover all the variations for poached fish would take several pages.
It may be best to give the basics and let the cook try all the variations and short cuts.
Just remember it can be whole fish or fillets; it can be served hot or cold; the poaching liquid can be water or beer, all the way to champagne or a fine court bouillon.
There are several good hot sauces and many good cold sauces.
Finally, decorating your fish with cherry tomatoes, olives, cucumber slices, lemon slices, fresh parsley and pimentos can be as much fun as eating it.
Then, if you really feel ambitious, mold your cold whole fish in gelatin.
My favorite is a whole poached bass, ling cod or red snapper with a white butter sauce.
It's still my favorite even when I poach fillet of sole.
🧑‍🍳 The Cook:  J. Carl Ferguson, Jr. 🔑 Keywords: fish, bass, cod, red snapper, filet of sole, poached
🗂️ Categories: 🐟 Fish & Seafood
📚 Collections: From The Ferguson Family, Cooking with Carl, Hugh & Your Friends, The TFR Cookbook
Poached Fish With White Butter Sauce was added on February 11, 2007 and last updated on June 06, 2025.
*Serving suggestion only. 😂 If a food photo doesn't look like it was taken by a monkey named Frank, it was most likely AI generated and not the result of Frank's minimal culinary or photographic skills. Unless you failed the "I'm not a robot" test, your recipes will probably not look like the ones in the pictures. See Creamy Turkey Veggie Soup to read more about AI images.
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📄Recipe Disclaimer: While The Ferguson Recipes strives to present reliable and delicious recipes, please note that most of the recipes on this site have not undergone rigorous testing or independent verification. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you always follow standard food safety guidelines when preparing any dish. Eggs: If you make a recipe that uses raw eggs, please consider using pasteurized eggs. Allergens: Food allergens have not been identified in each individual recipe. Please use caution if you have any food allergies. If you have any questions or concerns about a specific recipe, please feel free to contact us.
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