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Started By
Message
Trouble with sous vide fish
Posted on 5/16/16 at 9:18 am
Posted on 5/16/16 at 9:18 am
Does anyone find that sous vide doesn't do all that well with fish? Wondering if that's the case or I'm doing something wrong.
Last night I made swordfish. Had 2 pieces cut an inch thick. Did a simple salt and pepper with some butter in the bag and cooked at 130 for about 80 minutes.
When it came out the fish was kind of mushy. Not really bad, but not as good as using an oven or grill or even stovetop. I did salmon once and got similar results.
I love chicken, pork and steaks done sous vide. Chicken is really nice because I can cook a whole week's worth with no trouble at all. I'm wondering if the texture of fish just doesn't work well with this method. Most fish is thin enough I would pan sear/fry it anyways. But I liked the idea of a thick piece of salmon or swordfish cooked perfectly.
Any thoughts on if this is user error?
Last night I made swordfish. Had 2 pieces cut an inch thick. Did a simple salt and pepper with some butter in the bag and cooked at 130 for about 80 minutes.
When it came out the fish was kind of mushy. Not really bad, but not as good as using an oven or grill or even stovetop. I did salmon once and got similar results.
I love chicken, pork and steaks done sous vide. Chicken is really nice because I can cook a whole week's worth with no trouble at all. I'm wondering if the texture of fish just doesn't work well with this method. Most fish is thin enough I would pan sear/fry it anyways. But I liked the idea of a thick piece of salmon or swordfish cooked perfectly.
Any thoughts on if this is user error?
11
Posted on 5/16/16 at 9:29 am to Dave Worth
I think you would be better off with a quick sear on the grill. It seems overkill it cook swordfish with the sous vide technique.
Posted on 5/16/16 at 9:31 am to Dave Worth
Most fish seems delicate enough to not use this method.
Posted on 5/16/16 at 9:31 am to Dave Worth
quote:
130 for about 80 minutes
I think you're cooking it too long. Fish cooks more quickly than chicken, pork or steak. I would cut your cook time down to 30 minutes and see how that goes. If it's still too mushy, go down to 20 minutes. If it's not cooked enough, go up in 5 minute intervals.
Posted on 5/16/16 at 9:38 am to Dave Worth
quote:WTF
cooked at 130 for about 80 minutes.
you could have prepared and cooked that sword in 10 minutes total.
the sous vide craze is insane. Just cook it normal
This post was edited on 5/16/16 at 9:39 am
Posted on 5/16/16 at 12:16 pm to mylsuhat
I did halibut once and it was fantastic. Most charts say to cook one inch fish for 40-50 minutes.
Posted on 5/16/16 at 12:16 pm to Dave Worth
quote:
swordfish
Here's your problem.
Posted on 5/16/16 at 2:46 pm to Dave Worth
I just read something recently about sous vide salmon. The writer said he had better results if he just used a zip-lock bag instead of a vacuum seal bag, because the vacuum compressed it and messed with the texture.
Posted on 5/16/16 at 3:34 pm to Dave Worth
Tom Colicchio lit someone up in Top Chef for a sous vide salmon. That's the only fish I make an exception for. I'll season it and toss it into the freezer for salmon whenever I want it. Into the water bath around 120 degrees for fifteen minutes, plus about 20 minutes or so added for the time to thaw, depending on thickness. For as much as I sous vide, I don't use the technique with fish.
Posted on 5/16/16 at 6:16 pm to Dave Worth
Leave the butter out
Posted on 5/16/16 at 6:21 pm to Lester Earl
I usually add a pat of ghee for both flavor and also keeping the fish moist. 
Posted on 5/16/16 at 6:22 pm to Dave Worth
quote:
you're cooking it too long
quote:
cook one inch fish for 40-50 minutes.
quote:
just use a zip-lock bag instead of a vacuum seal bag, because the vacuum compressed it and messed with the texture.
Yes, that pretty much sums it up...
Posted on 5/16/16 at 6:27 pm to Degas
Put it on after. The fish shouldn't dry out in sous vide, there the point
Posted on 5/16/16 at 6:32 pm to Lester Earl
A touch of fat helps everything along with sous vide. The only thing you don't really want to do is to add anything dairy like pure butter for more than a four hour cook.
Posted on 5/16/16 at 6:35 pm to Dave Worth
Don't sous vide fish. The point of it is to slowly break down the tissue. No fish needs this done to it.
Posted on 5/16/16 at 6:35 pm to Dave Worth
So you took 80 minutes for something that could have been cooked in 6 minutes? Sous vide is like a crock pot: just because you can cook it that way it doesn't mean you should.
Posted on 5/17/16 at 9:18 am to LSUZombie
Thanks for the replies! Looks like I won't be doing fish again sous vide.
I've had great results with sous vide cooking for many items. For the swordfish it was a matter of convenience. I was about to exercise and then jump in the shower. Wife was putting asparagus in the oven. With this method, whenever we finished everything and sides were done we could plate the fish.
It was meant to be a simple, no-fuss meal with little effort or mess. Not fine dining. I know you can leave steak in for up to 4 hours before the texture starts to change. I thought the fish would be good for at least about half that. Turns out I was wrong. Live and learn.
quote:
So you took 80 minutes for something that could have been cooked in 6 minutes? Sous vide is like a crock pot: just because you can cook it that way it doesn't mean you should.
I've had great results with sous vide cooking for many items. For the swordfish it was a matter of convenience. I was about to exercise and then jump in the shower. Wife was putting asparagus in the oven. With this method, whenever we finished everything and sides were done we could plate the fish.
It was meant to be a simple, no-fuss meal with little effort or mess. Not fine dining. I know you can leave steak in for up to 4 hours before the texture starts to change. I thought the fish would be good for at least about half that. Turns out I was wrong. Live and learn.
Posted on 5/17/16 at 9:34 am to Dave Worth
Put the fish in with the asparagus and they will both be ready at the same time.
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