The short answer
- Fish cooks lowest of all: 47 °C for trout, 52–60 °C for most white fish, 55 °C for salmon (LAVA's figures).
- Most fillets of 2–3cm need only 15 to 30 minutes.
- Season lightly, add butter or oil and herbs, seal flat; sear the skin side briefly afterwards.
- Use very fresh fish and serve it straight away.
Temperatures and times
| Fish | Water | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Trout fillet, 2–3cm | 47 °C | 18 min |
| Sole fillet, 2–3cm | 52 °C | 15 min |
| Turbot fillet, 2.5cm | 52 °C | 20 min |
| Salmon fillet, 2–3cm | 55 °C | 15 min |
| Cod fillet, 2–3cm | 58 °C | 25 min |
| Tuna fillet, 2–3cm | 58 °C | 30 min |
| Tuna fillet, 3–4cm | 58 °C | 45 min |
| Halibut fillet, 2.5cm | 59 °C | 15 min |
LAVA's times for medium. Meat, poultry and vegetables: Sous vide cooking times
Fish tips
Lightly seasoned
Salt, pepper, a little butter or olive oil, lemon zest or dill. Fish takes on flavour fast; strong marinades overpower it.
Flat and gentle
Fillets side by side in one layer. Soft fish such as salmon keeps its shape better with a gentle vacuum.
Helps: R-Vac bags
Skin crisp at the end
Out of the bag, pat dry, then a minute skin side down in a very hot pan.
Handle with a spatula
Fish cooked sous vide is very tender and breaks easily: lift it, don't tip it.
Recipe: rolled trout with butter carrots
Ingredients (2)
1 whole trout (rainbow or brown), 300g carrots, half a leek, 80g butter, 30g strong cheddar, 1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly, a few chives, salt and pepper; horseradish if you like.
1 · Carrots: 75 °C, 50 minutes
Peel the carrots, cut them into bite-sized pieces and seal them with the butter, salt and pepper. Cook at 75 °C for 50 minutes.
2 · Roll the trout
Scale and fillet the trout. Lay one fillet on cling film, chives on top, the second fillet on that, season, and roll it up tightly in the film. Seal the roll in a bag.
3 · Trout: 58 °C, 25 minutes
Take the carrots out, cool the bath to 58 °C with some lukewarm water and cook the trout roll for 25 minutes.
4 · Leek and butter
Tip the carrots with their butter into a hot pan, add the sliced leek and cook until just soft. Strain, return the liquid to the pan and reduce it until only the butter is left.
5 · Finish
Unwrap the trout and toss it in the butter for 2 minutes. Serve on the vegetables, halved, with the jelly spread on top, grated cheddar and a little horseradish.
Low temperatures cook, they don't pasteurise. Fish at 47–60 °C is cooked to taste, not made safe from bacteria the way hotter cooking does. Use very fresh fish, serve it straight away and don't keep it for later. For children, pregnant women, older people and anyone with a weak immune system, choose fully cooked fish.
LAVA AustraliaOfficial LAVA distributor and vacuum-packaging specialists since 2018.
