Pan Seared Halibut with Lemon Dill Sauce

4.94 from 246 votes
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Delicious and elegant pan-seared halibut recipe served golden with a sweet French lemon-dill beurre blanc sauce.

Pan seared halibut with lemon dill sauce.

When I was in culinary school, I remember seeing a flyer that displayed a perfectly cooked and plated piece of halibut fillet. I remember thinking that I wanted to be able to execute something so beautiful in the kitchen by the time I graduated.

I finally got the chance to learn how to properly pan-sear fish during my Art Culinaire class, where we studied the cuisines of top chefs from around the world. I learned that a hot pan, sizzling oil, dry surface on the fish, and a little bit of patience and attention helped create the beautiful pan-seared crust on any fish.

I want to share this pan-seared halibut with a lemon dill sauce recipe with you because it really is very simple to make!

Golden crust halibut with garnish on top.

Whenever I see halibut featured on a menu, I get excited because it’s such an elegant fish. Halibut has a pretty firm flesh, so it can stand up to heat very well, which makes it easy to achieve a beautiful golden-brown crust. I love how the contrast of the ivory-colored flesh looks against the crisp golden crust on the surface of the halibut.

The flavor of halibut is very mild, which is great because you can create a flavorful sauce to really enhance the taste of the fish. Halibut may seem like a difficult fish to master in the saute pan. However, it really is super easy, just a little practice on the searing technique and you will impress your friends and family without breaking a sweat.

I bought my first set of All-Clad stainless steel pans when I graduated from culinary school, and I find them to be perfect for pan-searing all of my fish, meat, and poultry dishes.

Fork and knife cutting into halibut fillet.

The sauce is based on the beurre blanc technique, which uses a white wine that has been concentrated down and made into a luscious sauce by gradually adding pieces of cubed butter, creating the perfect emulsion.

Adding fresh herbs like dill or tarragon really makes the sauce memorable and balances the rich texture of the butter sauce. This pan-seared halibut with lemon dill sauce combines classic flavors for the sauce with the fish, so you really can’t go wrong!

Recipe Science

What is a Buerre Blanc sauce?

If you’re looking to create a flavorful sauce and don’t have much time, a buerre blanc or buerre rouge sauce is the way to go. These are emulsified butter-based sauces (beurre) that either uses white (blanc) or red (rouge) wine as one of the base ingredients. The three main ingredients for a butter sauce are shallots, white or red wine, and lots of butter. The texture is smooth and slightly thicker than heavy cream. The most important thing to remember when making this sauce is not to overheat! Once the sauce hits 136°F, proteins in the butter that help emulsify the sauce begins to break down and release the butterfat that is being suspended in the emulsion. Simply put, your sauce separates and you have a broken sauce on your plate.

More Seafood Favorites

If you tried this Halibut recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!

Pan Seared Halibut with Lemon Dill Sauce

Golden seared halibut with a creamy lemon dill sauce. Tender halibut filets are sauteed and served with a sweet French lemon dill beurre blanc sauce.
4.94 from 246 votes
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Course Entree
Cuisine French

Ingredients  

Pan Seared Halibut

  • 16 ounces halibut fillets, two 8-oz pieces, about 2-inch thick
  • kosher salt, to season fillets
  • black pepper, to season fillets
  • grapeseed oil, enough for cooking the halibut

Lemon Dill Sauce

  • 1 cup dry white wine, chardonnay recommended
  • cup shallots, minced
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes, chilled
  • 3 tablespoons dill, chopped fresh
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 3 teaspoons lemon juice
  • kosher salt, to taste

Instructions 

Lemon Dill Sauce

  • In a small saucepan, heat wine and shallots over medium-high heat until reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 12-15 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat. Gradually add each cube of butter into the reduction, whisking each piece to create a thicker emulsified sauce.
  • Add the chopped dill, lemon zest, and lemon juice into the sauce, whisking to combine. Taste and season with salt as needed. Set aside.

Pan-Seared Halibut

  • Remove the fish from the refrigerator and let stand for 15 minutes. Dry the surface very well in between two paper towels.
  • Right before cooking, season each side of the halibut fillets generously with salt and pepper.
  • Preheat a large stainless steel pan over high heat. Add enough grapeseed oil until it reaches about ⅛-inch of the side of the pan. Heat until oil starts to shimmer.
  • Carefully add each halibut fillet to the pan presentation-side down, press the flesh with a spatula to create direct contact with the oil to create a golden crust.
  • Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 4-5 minutes. When the bottom of the fish is golden brown, carefully flip to the other side.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and heat until cooked through, making sure not to overcook the fillets, about 2-4 minutes.
  • Transfer to plate with a paper towel to remove any excess cooking oil.
  • Gently reheat the lemon dill sauce, whisking to combine making sure not to overheat as this will cause the sauce to separate. Serve each fillet with a ¼ cup of sauce.

Nutrition Facts

Serves: 2 servings
Calories 637kcal (32%)Carbohydrates 10g (3%)Protein 43g (86%)Fat 40g (62%)Saturated Fat 23g (115%)Polyunsaturated Fat 1gMonounsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 160mg (53%)Sodium 126mg (5%)Potassium 1259mg (36%)Fiber 1g (4%)Sugar 1g (1%)Vitamin A 3700IU (74%)Vitamin C 34.7mg (42%)Calcium 150mg (15%)Iron 4.1mg (23%)

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.

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Jessica Gavin

I'm a culinary school graduate, cookbook author, and a mom who loves croissants! My passion is creating recipes and sharing the science behind cooking to help you gain confidence in the kitchen.

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4.94 from 246 votes (238 ratings without comment)

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135 Comments Leave a comment or review

  1. Debbie Curcio says

    I am making this recipe tonight (I’ve made it before and came out great!)

    Question: Can I substitute parsley (or another herb) for the dill? I don’t have dill in the house and i think it would be ok w parsley but checking with the recipe guru?? I love all of your recipes!!

    Thank you.

  2. Christy says

    This was great! I probably didn’t let the wine cook down enough, so it looked a bit thin after adding the butter. So, I *dusted* flour into the saucepan, whisking until it looked a bit thicker. It didn’t impact the flavor at all, thankfully.
    The fish was beautiful – it didn’t sear quite as well as I’d hoped but I’ll go hotter on my next attempt. I had really thick halibut filets, so I cooked them a lot longer than the recipe suggests.

    I roasted some fingerling potatoes, shallots and carrots and the beurre blanc was delicious with them as well!

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Thanks for sharing your experience making the halibut recipe, Christy! Great job improvising to thicken the sauce.

  3. Joanne says

    This looks delicious … just 2 quick questions:

    – can you please suggest another oil to use if you don’t have grape seed oil on hand?
    – do you have a recipe / instructions for the veggies you plated the fish with in the recipe?

    Many thanks!

  4. Monique says

    I made the Lemon Dill Sauce to go with another fish I was cooking. Not sure if I got something very wrong but the sauce was super thin and very acidic. So I added Greek yogurt for body and a touch of sugar to curb the acidity. It was great. Will go into my rotation with these changes.

  5. Josh says

    I would recommend making your buerre blanc when the fish is cooking. This will ensure that the sauce does not separate before you are ready to plate.

    • Jessica Gavin says

      I would suggest white grape juice or 1 cup of unsalted chicken or vegetable broth combined with 1 teaspoon of vinegar (white wine or apple cider vinegar).

  6. Floyd Olden says

    I tried the recipe before, and it was good, so we had it again tonight. For whatever reason, it was even better. I used less oil (just enough to cover the bottom of the skillet) and let the aluminum skillet heat up first. The first side browned beautifully, flipped it over and waited and it was great also. But the best part of this whole recipe is the lemon-dill sauce ! Oh my goodness ! What I used was from a week ago and it was even more flavorful from it’s marinating ! Apologies for the long post, but this is some goood fish recipe ! We get our halibut from Sitka Salmon Shares in Alaska, but for a recipe this good, you want the best !

    Good Eating

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Great job, Floyd! I love the adjustments that you made to make the fish even better. I’ll have to give the halibut company a try!

  7. Paula says

    Amazing!!! I was so worried about messing up an expensive cut of fish. It turned out prefect.

  8. David McLorinan says

    The halibut was wonderful, but the sauce was HORRIBLE. The wine totally took over the flavour from the outset, to the extent that the other ingredients were obliterated. Fortunately they were cooked in separate pans so a jar of tartare sauce was infinitely preferable to this abomination

  9. Michael Ridgley says

    I was anxious to try one of your recipes last evening so I decided to cook the pan seared halibut and I must say, I was pretty disappointed. The surface of the flesh was so tough I could hardly cut through it with a knife. I have cooked fish many times and never had it turn out like that.

  10. anne says

    Reading through the comments, I think that perhaps I didn’t get the pan hot enough. Not sure what a shimmer is, so I guess my oil was not shimmering. Therefore no sear.

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Hi Anne- The pan has to be hot first to create a nonstick surface, then add the oil until it’s hot, looks like it’s starting to just ripple or shimmer on the surface but not smoke, then add the fish, press down, and don’t move. This helps get a golden crust.

  11. Anne says

    This dish was amazing. I got fresh rockfish and looked on pinterest for a recipe and I thought this would work. It was so wonderful. I just couldn’t get the sear like the picture. Mine stuck to the pan. I used olive oil and a stainless steel pan. I subbed dried dill for fresh. It was still amazing. since I made it for two of us, I halved the sauce recipe, but next time I will just make the full amount. I will definitely make this again. It was quick and easy and I had all of the ingredients. I am excited to check out some of your other recipes.

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Thank you for your feedback! Were the pan and oil hot enough when you add the rockfish! I make sure the fish is dry, lightly press on the surface, and don’t move the fish to create a nice golden crust.

  12. Fiona Clark says

    Delicious recipe. I didn’t have shallots but used green onion and sweet onion … will use shallots next time!
    Thank you!

  13. NORM STEWART says

    The best sauce I have ever made. We used cod, and had enough sauce for mashed potatoes as well. Awesome dinner.

  14. Janice says

    The dill sauce was beautiful, however I followed the recipe to a T even weighing my halibut (it was about 3″ thick) and after cooking it, the fish was dry. My instincts were telling me to go with less cooking time, but I decided to stick with the recipe. I will make this again, with less cooking time.

    • Jessica Gavin says

      I like to use olive oil instead of extra virgin because it has a higher smoke point and a more neutral flavor. Vegetable oil or avocado oil will also work.

  15. Depal Patel says

    Dear Jessica, I used your advice to pan sear a piece of halibut and it worked really well. The fish kept it shape, it was crispy, but not overly dry and tasted excellent. Will try making the sauce too next time. Thank you!

  16. Ann says

    Thanks Jessica, I tried out this recipe tonight and it was a great success. I am just wondering how far in advance I could make the sauce when planning to make it for a dinner party?

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Hi Ann- You could make the sauce about an hour beforehand, keep it on the stove not being heated, and then gently reheat right before serving.

  17. Karen Casey says

    Oh my gosh, this is an amazing recipe. The sauce was key. I followed a reviewers suggestion to add some half and half before the butter. I also usually use EVOO as recommended always by a impulse cooking show but because I did not have grape seed oil, I used macadamia nut oil which was soooo good. Keeper!!

    • Jessica Gavin says

      I always make sure to heat the pan first, then add the oil, once hot then I add the fist. I also dry the surface of the fish really well, press it down in the pan immediately, then I don’t move it and just let it brown until the crust forms so it releases better.

  18. @icookbyrecipe says

    I found the recipe easy to execute and the finish product was delicious . I eat a great deal of fish and I am always looking for new ways to prepare . This recipe did not disappoint .

  19. Barb says

    This is a fabulous restaurant quality dish! We thoroughly enjoyed it! Thank you, Jessica, looking forward to more of your recipes!

    • Jessica Gavin says

      I would recommend stainless steel saute pa to get maximum browning and crispiness. The grill pan would work but the texture would be different.

  20. Judy says

    I just sent this to my son who is coming for Christmas. I hope I can find some good halibut for one of our meals and use your recipe, which I know will be absolutely the best.

  21. Tiffinie says

    So so yummy! Made it for my whole family and everyone loved it!!! Although I had trouble creating that golden brown crust on the fish. Any additional tips? I used a stainless steel pan but I did cook all the fish at the same time.

  22. Marsha says

    Planned to make this tonite for guests, but the seafood market was out of halibut so I used scallops and cooked them using the same technique as was recommended for the halibut. The beurre blanc sauce was delicious and I subbed fresh tarragon for the dill, as I am not a big fan of dill. It all turned out great and will make it again. I like that the sauce can be prepared in advance and set aside to be reheated later.

  23. Warren Hiatt says

    I have special guests coming this weekend, and I am known for being “the chef.” I have halibut being flown in (Seattle to Mississippi), and anxiety about getting everything right is profound. I have perused essentially all the pan-seared techniques on the internet, and your approach seems to have the most promise. I am sure it will be great. Thank you in advance.

  24. Roseanne Hutchison says

    Wow! Using your tips and direction lead to a beautiful seared halibut filet! I added capers to the sauce, next time I will add artichokes.

    I loved this meal and felt like a “real chef”! I served this along roasted cherry tomatoes and carrots.

    THANK YOU! ????

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Hi Jennifer- Great question! I would not just the dill pickle juice to substitute dill herbs. Perhaps some thyme or tarragon would be better alternatives 🙂

  25. Lisa says

    Thank you for this delicious dish! I did use cod but followed the recipe otherwise. One of my new favorite meals! Served with an arugula salad with olive oil, lemon and Parmesan.
    Thanks again!

  26. Bob H. says

    What a wonderful recipe. The keys to this recipe are seasoning the halibut properly and the preparation of the buere blanc. The blanced carrots and asparagas provided the crunch that puts the dish over the top. Add a glass or two of chardonnay. This is the “go to” meal to impress friends! Thank you so much, Jessica!!

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Wow, with your wine pairing I wish I could have had dinner with you! So thrilled to hear that you have pan searing method down, you rock Bob!

  27. Bob says

    Several years after the original post and this recipe is still winning fans. Made a perfect halibut with it tonight. So many online recipes just don’t turn out as described but this one was perfect and will be how I prepare halibut from now on. Thank you.

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Wow, what a great review Bob. Thank you so much for returning and leaving a comment. I’m so thrilled that you continue to enjoy the recipe!

  28. Skip Plitt says

    Success! Amazingly simple to make. You’re rewarded with a dish that satisfies the senses. The sauce is sooo good. I bought a Calphalon stainless steel 10” pan to try and my fears of using SS have disappeared. Jessica, thank you for sharing the recipe, giving me the courage to try something new (SS pan), and the encouragement to see it through. I appreciate the personal touch. I’m looking forward to owning your cookbook. Cheers!

    • Jessica Gavin says

      This is the BEST comment ever Skip! I am so thrilled to hear that you added another tool to your cooking arsenal. My one goal is to help others build confidence in the kitchen, and you truly made me feel the effort is worthwhile. Enjoy that pan, let me know what you cook next!

  29. Skip Plitt says

    Hi Jessica, I’m new to your site and very happy to have found it. I’m excited to try this recipe tomorrow night. I was wondering if I can get the same sear using a non-stick pan? I also have a cast iron skillet. I don’t mind buying a stainless steel pan to add to my arsenal if that’s what it takes to get the perfect sear. Please let me know what you think.

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Hi Skip! As an equipment junkie, you know I would say get a stainless steel pan so you can experiment! If you are worried about sticking than a nonstick pan will do the job, however, the sear and crust won’t be as pronounced because you really shouldn’t heat those types a pan too high. They are designed for delicate foods like eggs, crepes, vegetables and light fish, but not high heat or the coating can start to come off. I’ve made scallops in a cast iron with a nice crust, but not as good as stainless steel because it does not heat as evenly, but holds heat well. If you use your cast iron make sure it’s seasoned and preheated before the fish enters the pan and don’t move the fish until it forms a crust and is easily released from the pan. Same goes for stainless steel, make sure the pan is preheated, nice and hot before the oil goes in. Don’t add the fish until that oil is shimmering and let it be until it easily releases from the pan. Cast iron and stainless steel are great because they can be used in high heat and placed in the oven. Let me know what you decide!

      • Skip Plitt says

        Thank you for answering my questions. I’ve been afraid of cooking with anything but non-stick or a well seasoned cast iron because of sticking concerns. What you’ve described gives me confidence to try stainless. I appreciate the detailed coaching. 🙂 I’ll guess I’ll stop by Costco or Marshall’s and see what kind of SS pans they have and give it a try. I’m really looking forward to trying the Halibut and sauce recipe tonight. I’ll write back to let you know how it turned out. Again, I’m so happy to have stumbled upon your website. Thank you for doing what you do and sharing your knowledge and love for food.

  30. Kimberley says

    I’d like to know if you can triple the sauce. I would like to use this recipe for my Easter dinner serving 10 adults?

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Hi Kimberley- Yes, you can triple the sauce, just make sure you use a large pan and it will take longer to reduce the wine.

      • Kimberley says

        Jessica, I made your dish for my husband and I last night. The sauce was amazing. I would like to thank you for this wonderful halibut dish and I’m going to serve it for Easter. I’ll let you know how it turns out. I think I’ll only double the sauce.

  31. Sammi says

    I just tried this recipe last night. Boy, halibut is so expensive that I was nervous. But, this was a screaming success! Beautiful and delicious! I didn’t have a fresh lemon, so I made juice from lemon crystals. Also I served it with sautéed rainbow and the rest of the leeks. Delicious! Thanks for the tips on how to make the sauce. It was a new experience for me and something I am glad to add to my wheel house.

  32. Jonathan Smith says

    Thank you for the provision of such a comprehesive yet terse recipe. Because of your writing skill, I was able to use the recipe to my greatest success yet.

  33. TREVOR BIGGS says

    Amazing dish!!!! Not being a big dill fan I had low expectations but this is now first place for my X-mas dinner! I put the carrots and asparagus in the sous vide at 183 degrees for 45 minutes, prepped the halibut, made the sauce and in under an hour I had restaurant quality meal! The only thing I did different was add a panko crust for a bit more texture. Thanks Jessica, great meal – even my two boys, age 2 and 3 scarfed it down!

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Thank you Trevor! I love that you sous vide the vegetables. Have you tried that with the fish yet? Love the addition of the panko crust, I will have to try it too 🙂 Hig five on getting the boys to eat the meal, I know how hard that can be!

  34. Larry Mowrey says

    This recipe rocks! Served up two pounds of delicious halibut to my fish-suspicious family tonight…empty plates and “wow, this is good!” all around. I used lime instead of lemon (because that’s what I had), and I seared the fish in a dry (but well-seasoned) cast iron skillet. Easy and fun to cook and a pleasure to serve and enjoy!

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Yay Larry! So glad to hear that halibut recipe was a hit with the family. Love the idea of cooking it in a cast iron pan. Cheers!

  35. Donna Mehl says

    Tried this last night. I did not have fresh dill or shallots. I compromised using dried dill and dried chives. Added some fish seasoning I get from a local spice tin store. I fill that the basics you have for seasoning can pretty much go with any spices you like with fish. It was very easy make the sauce. My husband raved about how good it was.

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Thank you for your feedback Donna! I love how you were so clever and compromised with what you had in your pantry. Nothing’s going to stop you from making a good meal, great job!

  36. Arzin says

    Great recipe. Great instructions. Added capers to the sauce because we like them with seafood. Mmmmmm

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Thank you so much for your feedback Arzin! I’m so thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the recipe 🙂 I love the addition of the capers!

  37. Randy Prefer says

    Jessica: Absolutely the best! Loved the sauce too. I did make the asparagus: baked at 375 with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper a sprinkle of garlic and vary fine Italian bread crumbs. They were wonderful. I added a couple pieces of shredded carrot to the dill sauce. My wife cleaned her plate with some fresh bread. She was very impressed for mothers day!
    Send me a link to more recipes of yours.

    Thank you,
    Randy

    • Jessica Gavin says

      I think that would work, and perhaps mince one clove of garlic as well. The shallot has flavors of onion and garlic all in one 🙂

  38. Jill Piper says

    I made this and it turned out beautiful! I could have reduced the sauce a tad more to get it thicker but I was worried about it separating. Despite the sauce being a bit thin it was delicious!

  39. Deb Faulkner says

    Soo good! I even tried to imitate the veggies in the pic and roasted carrots and asparagus cut into one inch or so pieces..and then saved all over olive oil and garlic couscous. Just perfect.

  40. zds526 says

    Thanks for a great recipe. It came out very well. Are the minced shallots supposed to remain in the sauce when it’s finished? Or are they supposed to dissolve or reduce somehow? I minced the shallots very small, but there were still evident and I could see and taste them in the final sauce. It tasted good, but I’m wondering if that’s normal. And if they are supposed to dissolve, should I sautéed them a bit before adding the wine? Thanks again!

    • Jessica Gavin says

      You are so welcome! You can keep the minced shallots in the finished sauce, or if you just want a hint of shallot flavor strain the sauces through a fine mesh strainer after you add the butter but before you add the lemon and dill 🙂

  41. Kutchoo says

    This sauce looks phenomenal but I was wondering if it is possible to make it without the wine? I can’t cook with wine due to dietary restrictions…

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Great question Kutchoo, yes! For this dish I would add 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock mixed with 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Reduce that mixture to 2 tablespoons like the recipe states. Let me know how it goes!

  42. Darryl says

    My son and I just got back from a trip to Alaska with some halibut that we caught. I was quite pleased to find you recipe and it delivered as promised!

  43. Annabelle says

    This recipe was amazing! My husband and I just caught two 32″ halibut on the Oregon Coast but had never cooked it. I google searched for a good skillet halibut recipe and found yours. The buerre blanc sauce was a bonus since I have a ton of dill in my herb garden and I love lemon dill together! The sauce came out a little thin but so flavorful – will have to try adding a bit of cream next time. The halibut was unbelievable!!!. I used Avocado oil for the high heat and because I didn’t have grape seed oil. Great, great recipe!!!!

    • Jessica Gavin says

      I’m so jealous Anabelle that you guys have so much delicous halibit! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe 🙂 I really appreciate the feedback! Let me know what else you decide to make with the fish!

  44. Paula Rich says

    I pinned this a year ago and finally tried it tonight. What was I waiting for???? My husband said, “If I had that at the French Laundry, I would leave saying that halibut was one of the standout dishes.” Perfect! Thank you so much!

    • Jessica Gavin says

      WOW Paula! Your comment just made me SMILE 🙂 We have dined at the french laundry, so your husbands compliment is so humbling. Thank you so much for trying the recipe, so happy that you enjoyed it!

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Absolutely Katie! If you don’t like a strong olive flavor go with light or regular olive oil, instead of extra virgin.

  45. Ashley Gleckman says

    I’m sure you probably can’t get to me tonight, but I did try to wait until what I assumed was 2 tbsp but considering my sauce is a little runny perhaps I didn’t wait long enough. Any suggestions to help coagulate my sauce?

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Hi Ashley- I apologize for not getting back to you sooner! I usually add a little more chilled butter to the sauce if I want it thicker. Sometimes the sauce gets thinner with the addition of the lemon juice, so you can maybe add 1-2 teaspoons at first, taste and see if you want to thicken with more butter. You could also try adding a little bit of cream after you’ve adding the other sauce ingredients next time. I hope this helps, thanks for the great comment! – Jessica

    • MICHAEL T LONDON says

      Got two tips for ‘thin” sauce problems. Before you start take your target volume (2 tbls) of water and put in it the pan you are using. Now you know what it looks like. Second, any time you are cooking vegetables, they will add water. Start hot and reduce temp until steaming, and make sure you reduce slowly. That way the vegetables will loose water in the process, not afterward.

  46. Catherine says

    I’ve read hundreds of online recipes and this is the first one that provides a perfect method for the halibut I delight in top restaurants. I am still working on Beurre Blanc however as my dill did not stay as bright green. Also, just wondering if salted butter can ever be substituted for sweet? Thanks so much!

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Hi Catherine- Thank you! I think you can definitely add salted butter instead of sweet, you would just need to taste the sauce before adding more seasoning. Maybe you can try adding the dill at the very end, and make sure the buerre blanc is not too hot.

  47. Mairi Campbell says

    A little surprised by all the positive reviews….I found it very thin for a beurre blanc, and I think the ratio of wine to butter is much too high…..I would cut it in half. Hopefully I can salvage the remainder tomorrow if it doesn’t separate, by adding some cream. Seemed like a waste of wine and butter to me, unfortunately.

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Hi Mairi- I appreciate your comment! We’re you able to reduce the wine to 2 tablespoons so that it’s not so runny? Let me know if the cream helps!

  48. Destiney M says

    I made this tonight but I used tilapia because I couldn’t find fresh halibut steaks. It turned out perfectly and was my first time cooking fish. I accidentally splashed my boyfriend with oil when I put a steak in so that part wasn’t fun but he forgot about it once he saw his dinner plated and waiting on the table. The lemon dill sauce was phenomenal. And I just steamed some asparagus. Thank you for this recipe. We will certainly be making it again. And I will now be internet stalking your blog for more !!!

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Hi Destiney- Wow, great job being brave and trying something new! I’m so glad to hear that the tilapia worked out well for this method and you liked the flavors. Tilapia is much more affordable than halibut, yet still has a tender and flakey texture, what a great substitution! I’m glad you’re boyfriend was able to forgive you after you served him a delicious meal 🙂 I can’t wait for you to try more recipes, happy cooking!

  49. Ms. Gordon says

    Made this last night – forgot fresh dill so subbed 1/3 tbsp of dried. – I added farm fresh tri-colored string beans (black, yellow, green), tiny pan seared farm potatoes, asparagus and the carrots – all deliciously crispy and perfectly bright.
    wow, what an unbelievable dish! its so classic and clean and you don’t feel yucky after eating it. thank you for sharing it, its a classic in my book.

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Hi Mr. Gordon- WOw, those additions sound incredible! I’m glad that you enjoyed the recipe, I love hearing how it turned out for you. Thanks for giving the recipe a try!

  50. Karen says

    hi I was thinking about making this tonight but I was wondering how did you cook the vegetables underneath the halibut thank you

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Hi Karen- I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner! I actually steamed the carrot and asparagus until just tender and still vibrant in color. Then I season with salt, pepper and butter (if desired). You can also saute the vegetables. Please let me know if you have any additional questions 🙂

  51. Jeff Scotti says

    Jessica, tried your recipe last night…it was fantastic! The only thing I did different was add about an ounce of heavy cream to your dill sauce before adding the butter.

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Hi Jeff- I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! The heavy cream is a great addition, makes it’s even richer and keeps that sauce nice and smooth. Cheers!

    • Sonnie Dockser says

      I added half and half to the dill sauce. I liked the bit of creamy taste and it was delicious. The recipe is a go to from now on. Loved the searing technique as well. Terrific!!!

      • Jessica Gavin says

        Hi Sonnie- Great to hear that you had success with the recipe, nice addition of the half and half! Thank you for your comment and trying the recipe 🙂

  52. JNo says

    This was really good, I haven’t made halibut this good before. I was surprised how messy it was when you go to turn the fish, lots of oil spatter but I am not a chef so whateves.. I used Tarragon instead of dill, didn’t have dill and usually not a big fan of it but maybe it would’ve been the better option but the sauce was nice either way.

    • Jessica Gavin says

      Hi Sairah- Yes, you can defnitely use a cast iron for pan frying the halibut. However I would still use a stainless steel sauce pan or pot to make the lemon dill sauce 🙂

    • Vicki says

      I followed the directions exactly and it was the best cod dish I’ve ever tasted. The sauce was perfect – it wasn’t thin at all. Maybe others didn’t let the wine cook down enough. Thank you Jessica, this will be my go-to recipe for cod.

      • Jessica Gavin says

        Yay Vicki! I’m so thrilled to hear that you had success with the halibut recipe! You are a rockstar 🙂

    • Paul Speidell says

      This was GREAT! We used California halibut, so we had to be especially careful with the thinner fillets. The sauce was the best I’ve ever tasted and went perfectly with the halibut.