This Elegant, Simple Fish Dish Uses the 'Steak of the Sea'

In a previous episode of Ludo à la Maison, chef Ludo Lefebvre gave some pointers for making perfect beurre blanc. It’s a simple sauce, but it can also easily break if you’re not too careful. So when he prepares it for this week’s turbot véronique recipe, he provides some refresher advice (and adds yellow miso for a twist). He fondly calls turbot "the steak of the sea," and you'll see why if you make this dish. Find out his key tips for making it below, and grab the recipe on his website.

Add Your Butter Slowly

When you’re adding the butter to the shallot, dry white wine (or vermouth), and heavy cream mixture to make the sauce, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. The sauce should be boiling when you start whisking in the butter—this will make a better emulsion—and you want to whisk it in slowly, too, adding the pieces gradually. If you add in too much fat, Lefebvre says the sauce can break.

Use Clarified Butter for the Mushrooms

Lefebvre says he’s using clarified butter to cook his mushrooms because it doesn’t burn (it has a higher smoke point than regular butter). Case in point—he’s able to cook the mushrooms at a very high heat (even a little too hot, he notes), and get them crispy and caramelized.

Feel Free to Use Turbot or Sole

Classic sole véronique calls for, well, sole. But Lefebvre couldn’t find any, so he ended up grabbing turbot instead. It’s also a flatfish, and he explains that the flesh is like “the steak of the sea.” You want to cook it very gently over low heat for this dish, so there’s no coloration.

Bonus Cocktail: French Pear Martini

Lefebvre pairs his dish with a French pear martini, made with French blanc vermouth, Ciroc vodka (Ciroc sponsors his show), and a spray of pear blossom extract. He combines it with ice and stirs it together—then, he pours it all into a glass filled with pear slices. All that's left to do is enjoy it with the fish.