Seared Pacific Halibut Steak with Creamy Peppercorn Sauce
January 19th, 2022Our Alaskan-Inspired Take on Steak au Poivre
This recipe for a seared Pacific halibut steak with a creamy peppercorn sauce is our easy rendition of the classic French bistro dish, steak au poivre — poivre meaning pepper in French. Our Alaska-inspired version of this dish is just as indulgent and hearty as the original. But when made with Pacific halibut steak (or fillets!), it has a lighter, healthier feel that complements the spiced richness of the peppercorn sauce.
Ideally, you’ll use a mortar and pestle to crack whole peppercorns into large pieces, which allow their spice to infuse into the sauce. You can also place peppercorns in a bag or wrap them in a tea towel, then use the bottom of a skillet to gently crack them into bits. Otherwise, use the coarsest setting you have on your pepper mill.
Don’t be intimidated by the amount of steps in the recipe that follows, as it ultimately is a simple dish to make. To start, you’re searing a Pacific halibut steak. Then, you're building the peppercorn sauce an ingredient or two at a time in the very same skillet. That's all there is to it!
The WAC recipe team featured Halibut au Poivre in a live event! Watch the recording of the cooking demo to see how it's made.
Seared Pacific Halibut Steak with Peppercorn Cream Sauce
By Wild Alaskan Company
The peppercorn sauce is traditionally flavored with a meat-based broth, but to better enhance the mild flavor of Pacific halibut, we preferred mixing light miso paste with a bit of water to create a light, umami-rich stock. If you don’t have light miso paste on hand, you can substitute any broth or stock you have in your kitchen. Alternatively, dark miso paste can be used in place of light miso paste, but because it tends to be saltier and stronger in flavor, you’ll need to use less of it so that the finished sauce isn’t overly seasoned.
Prep time
7 minutes
Cook Time
8 minutes
Total time
15 minutes
Yield
2 servings
Ingredients
- 2 (8 oz.) Pacific halibut steaks or 2 (6 oz.) Pacific halibut fillets
- Salt
- High-heat cooking oil
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon light miso paste
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons coarsely ground or cracked black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons brandy or white wine (optional)
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, pat Pacific halibut steaks or fillets dry with a tea towel or paper towels to remove excess moisture. Then, lightly season with salt.
2. Add enough high-heat cooking oil to just cover the bottom of hot pan. When oil begins to shimmer, carefully lower fish into the skillet. Sear until first side is golden brown, then flip when it releases easily from the skillet with a fish spatula, about 3 minutes. Flip and sear remaining side for another few minutes, until fish has reached an internal temperature of 130 degrees on an instant read thermometer at its thickest part, or when it can be flaked easily with a fork. Transfer to a serving plate and set aside.
3. Drain excess oil from skillet, then lower heat to medium. If skillet is quite hot, remove from heat to allow it to cool off. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together water and miso paste. Set aside.
4. Return skillet to hot burner, then add butter and peppercorns to the pan. Once butter begins to foam, carefully add miso mixture to the pan and bring to a simmer — it's best to add the mixture quickly to the pan, tilted slightly away from you, as it will bubble up and spatter a little. Use wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of the pan.
5. Add in brandy or white wine if using, then bring to a rapid simmer. Cook until sauce reduces by half, a few minutes. Then, whisk in heavy cream and simmer for another 2 minutes or until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste to adjust seasoning as needed, adding in more peppercorns and/or salt if desired. Spoon over Pacific halibut while still warm.
Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have a certain medical condition. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F for cooked fish.
