Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Butter Poaching


davidthomas8779

Recommended Posts

The French Laundry Cookbook has a really good description of this.

You have to make a buerre monte (I think this is right?). Start with a little bit of water (couple tablespoons) and heat it over low heat. Start whicking in butter a tablespoon at a time. You want to create an emulsion, not clarified butter. Keep whicking until all the butter is whisked in (a couple of pounds). Place your lobster tail (or whatever) in a cook over low temperature (The sauce should be about 180 degrees F).

Edited by guajolote (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try this technique, it uses less butter, its more flavorful and your heart will thank you.

In a cryovac bag put the following ingredients:

Butter

Herbs

Aromatic vegetables(garlic, shallot, etc..)

Raw Lobster Tail

Salt & Pepper

Cryovac and poach in water at 120f for 9 minutes

Open and serve with juices, uses a lot less butter than non cryo techniques, if you are looking for a cheap, reliable cryo machine, look here

Edited by inventolux (log)

Future Food - our new television show airing 3/30 @ 9pm cst:

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/future-food/

Hope you enjoy the show! Homaro Cantu

Chef/Owner of Moto Restaurant

www.motorestaurant.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try this technique, it uses less butter, its more flavorful and your heart will thank you.

In a cryovac bag put the following ingredients:

Butter

Herbs

Aromatic vegetables(garlic, shallot, etc..)

Raw Lobster Tail

Salt & Pepper

Cryovac and poach in water at 120f for 9 minutes

Open and serve with juices, uses a lot less butter than non cryo techniques, if you are looking for a cheap, reliable cryo machine, look here

So the lesson here is...buy a 6000.00 sous vide machine so you can learn how to butter poach. Man...you rich guys. :biggrin:

Butter-poaching, besides being all the rage now, is an awesome way to impart butter flavor into something without overcooking. My suggestion is use good butter for optimal results. I use Presidente when I do things for big dinners. I'm not sure of the chemistry behind it, but there's an instant osmosis--if you will--to the protein involved. It doesn't work that way when you saute in butter...maybe some of you Altonians can chime in here. When you bite into a lobster claw that has been poached in butter you get this insanely flavorful blast. You can pick out both flavors, they compliment each other in a way that doesn't occur when you dip in clarified butter. I could go on and on. I love that technique.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure of the chemistry behind it, but there's an instant osmosis--if you will--to the protein involved.  It doesn't work that way when you saute in butter...maybe some of you Altonians can chime in here.  When you bite into a lobster claw that has been poached in butter you get this insanely flavorful blast.

Isn't butter poaching just a riff on confit but with cow fat rather than duck fat?

viz slow-poaching in olive oil, another variation on this gaining ground.

Or does the water/protein content in butter add anything different in terms of chemistry and flavour?

J

More Cookbooks than Sense - my new Cookbook blog!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shit, now I feel like Fred Soltnerstone.  Last thing I heard,  the only machines you could buy were the mainframe types, that cost way too much.  I should have figured they'd PC the thing.  Still, 120.00 to save a little money on butter?

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...75&hl=foodsaver These are some of the best things going.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try this technique, it uses less butter, its more flavorful and your heart will thank you.

In a cryovac bag put the following ingredients:

Butter

Herbs

Aromatic vegetables(garlic, shallot, etc..)

Raw Lobster Tail

Salt & Pepper

Cryovac and poach in water at 120f for 9 minutes

Open and serve with juices, uses a lot less butter than non cryo techniques, if you are looking for a cheap, reliable cryo machine, look here

About how much butter would you use for 1 lobster tail?

Thanks

johnjohn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have some lovely fresh Mahi Mahi (Dorado, Dolphin FISH) filets from a fisherman friend. Would putting them in a shallow pan in a very low oven with the butter accomplish the same thing? I am really wanting to try this.

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't butter poaching just a riff on confit but with cow fat rather than duck fat?

butter isn't cow fat in the same way as duck fat is duck fat John.To get the same, you would have to milk a duck? does that make sense , or am i just too tired to make myself understood :wacko:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Milk a duck... :laugh:

CFW... Why wouldn't mahi be optimal. This stuff is less than 24 hours off the hook, never frozen? Having been exposed to really fresh mahi, I can say that it is not the same as previously frozen. It is actually pretty firm flesh.

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It may work...if you have it try it out. When I think of mahi I think of grilling, or searing. I think it would be better with a stronger tasting fish. If you butter poach mahi it may just taste like buttered tuna fish (in the can). Mahi, in my opinion, needs to be eaten some what rare to md. rare. I don't think the infusion would be complete... Well done? Not advisable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am going to try it. I will let you know how it turns out.

edit: Forgot to add... I HATE rare, raw undercooked fish of any kind. I like it cooked to just done, not overcooked. I go by when it is just ready to flake.

Edited by fifi (log)

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have some lovely fresh Mahi Mahi (Dorado, Dolphin FISH) filets from a fisherman friend. Would putting them in a shallow pan in a very low oven with the butter accomplish the same thing? I am really wanting to try this.

Do this: Crust the mahi mahi with crushed macadamian nuts and saute in butter/evoo. Thank me later.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do this:  Crust the mahi mahi with crushed macadamian nuts and saute in butter/evoo.  Thank me later.

I've done this, but added lime zest to the crust. Lime/macadamia is a great combination. Works well with lamb as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have some lovely fresh Mahi Mahi (Dorado, Dolphin FISH) filets from a fisherman friend. Would putting them in a shallow pan in a very low oven with the butter accomplish the same thing? I am really wanting to try this.

i don't know mahi, but as a method it sounds fine - i've had good results with it. not with fish, i should say, but making fondant potatoes. yummy yummy yummy. took a very long time to finish (like 3 h.), though. i must try fish, too. and perhaps the ideal fish would be cod, as it's not already oily but has a lot of taste to stand against the butter.

christianh@geol.ku.dk. just in case.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On a trip to Hawaii last year I stayed mostly in condos with pretty well equipped kitchens. Fabulous fish was availble in the local supermarkets and macadamias were pretty cheap (for macadamias) at Wal-Mart! We almost OD'd on macadamia crusted fish. The leftovers (we cooked a lot of fish) made fabulous lunch salads the next day... great organically grown greens from the produce lady, sliced papaya and mango, papaya seed dressing... I highly recommend that recipe.

Hmmmm... I did pick up that bag of blanched almonds at my Asian market last week.

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try this technique, it uses less butter, its more flavorful and your heart will thank you.

In a cryovac bag put the following ingredients:

Butter

Herbs

Aromatic vegetables(garlic, shallot, etc..)

Raw Lobster Tail

Salt & Pepper

Cryovac and poach in water at 120f for 9 minutes

Open and serve with juices, uses a lot less butter than non cryo techniques, if you are looking for a cheap, reliable cryo machine, look here

So the lesson here is...buy a 6000.00 sous vide machine so you can learn how to butter poach. Man...you rich guys. :biggrin:

Butter-poaching, besides being all the rage now, is an awesome way to impart butter flavor into something without overcooking. My suggestion is use good butter for optimal results. I use Presidente when I do things for big dinners. I'm not sure of the chemistry behind it, but there's an instant osmosis--if you will--to the protein involved. It doesn't work that way when you saute in butter...maybe some of you Altonians can chime in here. When you bite into a lobster claw that has been poached in butter you get this insanely flavorful blast. You can pick out both flavors, they compliment each other in a way that doesn't occur when you dip in clarified butter. I could go on and on. I love that technique.

The hardest part is prepping the lobsters. :shock:

I just used enough butter in a small pan to cover the thermometer, and I think I took it up to 155 degrees, as we wanted it poached, not tepid (or incubated).

The lobster was great, exactly the way we wanted it to be.

I think all those other ingredients would have interfered with the flavor. But then, I'm a purist.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have some lovely fresh Mahi Mahi (Dorado, Dolphin FISH) filets from a fisherman friend. Would putting them in a shallow pan in a very low oven with the butter accomplish the same thing? I am really wanting to try this.

Do it with salmon or sturgeon...I think mahi wouldn't be optimal...

In my opinion, the best technique for preparing salmon, which is very high in fat, is to cook at a low oven temperature (250 F with convection), with a little bit of butter. The texture of the finished fish is almost creamy, like good sashimi. This is the method described in Jean George's cookbook.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...