Sous vide brill with caramelized carrots and bisque sauce
Restaurant-quality sous vide fish recipe with homemade bisque and carrots
Looking to impress with a refined, restaurant-quality dish at home? This elegant sous vide recipe combines delicate brill (or sea bass), sweet caramelized carrots, and a rich, homemade bisque made from prawn shells and fish bones. It's a flavorful, colourful main course perfect for special dinners or festive occasions.
The sous vide technique ensures precise, gentle cooking of both the fish and carrots, preserving taste and texture. Meanwhile, the bisque brings everything together with depth and balance, enhanced by carrot juice and cream.
Ingredients
Fish & carrots
- 600–700 g skin-on brill fillet (or sea bass)
- 800 g carrots (peeled weight)
- Salt & freshly ground white pepper
- Olive oil (for sealing)
- Clarified butter (for searing)
- Flour (for dusting skin)
- Flat-leaf parsley (for garnish)
- 4 lemon wedges
Bisque base
- ± 500 g brill bones or turbot head
- ± 500 g prawn heads & shells (or lobster/langoustine shells)
- 200 g onion, chopped
- 200 g carrot, chopped
- 200 g celery, chopped
- 125 ml fresh carrot juice
- 125 ml cream (cooking or whipping)
- Optional: 1–2 tsp cornstarch + water (for thickening)
Equipment
Preparation method
1. Make the bisque
Place the fish bones and shells into a large pot with the onion, carrot, and celery. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Let it simmer gently for 30 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve into a wide, shallow pan.
Simmer the strained stock until reduced and flavorful, watch closely near the end to avoid burning. Set aside for final finishing.
2. Cook the carrots sous vide
Slice the peeled carrots diagonally into thick rounds. Season lightly with salt, vacuum seal, and cook at 85°C for 1 hour (for a bit of bite) or up to 2 hours (for softer texture). Once done, remove and cool slightly.
If using only one sous vide setup, you can cook the carrots first, then cool them while adjusting the water bath to 48°C for the fish.
3. Prep and cook the fish
Portion the brill fillet into 4–8 pieces. Season with salt and white pepper, then lightly brush with olive oil to prevent sticking. Vacuum seal and let rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour, this helps improve texture and flavor absorption.
Cook sous vide at 48°C for 15 minutes.
4. Finish the bisque
To your reduced shellfish stock, add carrot juice, cream, and the juices from the sous vide carrot pouch. Simmer gently until thick and smooth. If needed, thicken slightly with a cornstarch slurry.
Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
5. Caramelize the carrots
Pat the cooked carrots dry with paper towels. In a hot pan, sear them in clarified butter until nicely browned on the edges.
6. Crisp the fish skin
Carefully remove the fish from the bags. Pat dry and lightly dust the skin side with flour. Heat clarified butter in a nonstick pan and briefly sear skin-side down until crisp, just 30–60 seconds. Do not flip, as the interior is already perfectly cooked.
Plating
Warm your plates in advance (in an oven at 100°C). Start with a spoonful of bisque, arrange a few caramelized carrot slices, and place the crisped brill fillet on top. Finish with chopped parsley and a lemon wedge.
Looking for more inspiration?
Explore more elegant dishes in our sous vide recipe collection or dive into expert tips, guides, and seasonal ideas in our blog articles.
