Brown Butter Seared Pacific Halibut With Wild Mushroom Ragout
September 18th, 2025An Earthy, Seared Halibut Recipe Inspired by Fall Foraging in Alaska
In late summer, the forest near Tutka Bay fills with mushrooms — chanterelles, porcini, hedgehogs. For us, cooking with them is a way to bring the forest straight to the table. Here, the mushrooms become a ragout, slow-cooked until deep and savory, spooned beneath halibut seared in brown butter. The combination is earthy and bright, sea and forest in harmony. I like to serve this over egg noodles or rice to catch all the sauce.
About the chef: Chef Mandy Dixon is a James Beard nominee and chef/owner of Tutka Bay Lodge in Kachemak Bay. She is a lifelong Alaskan whose cuisine celebrates the vibrant possibility of harvests from the land and sea.
Brown Butter Seared Pacific Halibut With Wild Mushroom Ragout
By Wild Alaskan Company
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Total time
65 minutes
Yield
2 servings
Ingredients
- 2 (6 oz.) portions Pacific halibut
- 1 cup dried wild mushrooms
- 2 cups chicken broth, divided (1½ cups for soaking, ½ cup reserved)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for sautéing)
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 12 ounces cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, chopped or torn into pieces (about 4 heaping cups)
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoons thyme
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 4 heaping tablespoons sour cream
- Fresh parsley and thyme, chopped (for garnish)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Soak the mushrooms: In a small saucepan, warm 1½ cups of the chicken broth. Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl and pour hot broth over them. Let soak until softened, about 20 minutes. Once softened, remove the mushrooms and reserve the soaking liquid.
2. Sauté the aromatics and fresh mushrooms: In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced shallot and chopped celery, and cook until softened and translucent. Stir in the garlic and the chopped fresh mushrooms. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their liquid and it evaporates, about 10 minutes. Stir in the thyme, tomato paste, and paprika. Cook for another minute to incorporate those flavors.
3. Add the rehydrated mushrooms to the pan, along with their soaking liquid (pour it in slowly, leaving behind any grit at the bottom of the bowl). Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and the remaining ½ cup of chicken broth until smooth. Stir in the sour cream until fully blended. Pour this mixture into the mushroom ragout, stirring well. Let it simmer for 3-5 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt if needed. Reduce the heat to low and keep the ragout warm.
5. Using a clean kitchen towel or paper towel, gently pat the halibut dry and season them lightly with salt and pepper. In a separate skillet, melt butter over medium heat and cook until it begins to turn golden brown, developing a nutty aroma. Carefully lower the halibut into the browned butter. Sear until golden on the first side, about 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes on the second side, until the fish is just cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, or until the thickest part of the fillet registers at 130F on an instant-read thermometer. Add more cooking time as needed to reach desired doneness.
6. Spoon a generous portion of the mushroom ragout onto warm plates or shallow bowls. Lay a halibut fillet on top of each bed of ragout. Scatter with the chopped fresh parsley and thyme for garnish (if using). Serve hot.
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.
