Butter-Poached Fillets

It was a cold late-autumn day in the 1980s when my wife and I pushed our canoe into Treman Lake above Buttermilk Falls in Ithaca, New York. The valleys between the steep hills were filled with cold, clear water. I cast out toward a small stand of submerged trees. Almost instantly, my lure was swallowed by a five-pound largemouth bass.

When I got home, I improvised a cooking method. It was so good I’ve done it again and again with a wide variety of fish, but delicate white-fleshed fillets like bass or even tilapia work best. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the garlicky brown butter.

Makes 4 servings

Takes about 40 minutes

• 4 pounds fresh white-fleshed fish, such as bass or tilapia, filleted (see page 322)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon (see Note)
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed

1. Prep. Sprinkle the fish with salt and dry brine it for an hour. Find a baking pan or oven-safe frying pan not much bigger than the fish but large enough so the fillets lie flat and don’t overlap. Melt the butter in the pan over medium-low heat. Add the oil. There should be enough fat to cover the bottom of the pan to a depth of ⅛ inch. If necessary, increase the quantities. Stir the tarragon and garlic into the butter mixture and cook gently for about 5 minutes to give the garlic and tarragon time to flavor the butter.

2. Fire up. Set up the grill for two-zone cooking and shoot for about 225°F on the indirect side or get your smoker up to 225°F. Put a lot of smoke in the air by placing a pan with sawdust, wood chips, dried herbs, or even tea right over the flames.

3. Cook. Put the fish in the pan and spoon some of the butter over it. Place it in the indirect-heat zone and close the lid. The butter will probably brown—that’s OK. Brown butter has a nutty flavor that loves holding hands with fish. Just don’t let the butter blacken. When the flesh in the center of the fish hits 120°F, transfer it to a serving platter and spoon some brown butter over the top.

Note: Fresh tarragon is best, but if you can’t find it, use 2 tablespoons dried.