Turbot in Crustacean & Cognac Sauce

 A classic French-style fish dish with colourful seasonal vegetables

Few white fish are as elegant as turbot. Firm yet delicate, with a subtle sweetness, it deserves a sauce worthy of its nobility. Here, the fillets are gently pan-fried and served in a deeply flavoured crustacean and cognac sauce — silky, aromatic, and unmistakably French. The plate is completed with a rainbow of vegetables, turning this into a refined restaurant-style dish that still feels rustic and generous.

The Dish

The turbot fillets are lightly seasoned and sautéed in butter until just cooked through, keeping the flesh tender and pearly. They are then naped with a rich shellfish sauce made from crustacean shells simmered with aromatics, white wine, cream, and a splash of cognac for complexity and warmth. Fresh herbs add a final lift.

The Accompaniments

To make this a complete plate, I serve the fish with:

Steamed baby potatoes

Green beans

Garden peas

Slices of yellow and purple beetroot

A quenelle of creamy vegetable purée (potato or root vegetable)

A small mound of Provençal vegetable compote (think slow-cooked tomato, onion, courgette, aubergine)

The colours contrast beautifully with the sauce, and every bite offers something different — sweet, earthy, herbal, buttery.

Recipe

Ingredients

For the fish

2–3 turbot fillets

Butter and a drizzle of olive oil

Sea salt & black pepper

Fresh parsley or chervil to garnish

For the crustacean & cognac sauce

Shells from prawns, langoustines or crab

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 small carrot, diced

1 celery stick, diced

1 garlic clove

A small glass of white wine

1–2 tbsp cognac

Fish or shellfish stock

A splash of cream

Butter

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Vegetable sides

Baby potatoes

Green beans

Peas

Yellow and purple beetroot, cooked and sliced

Vegetable purée of your choice

Mediterranean vegetable compote (optional but delicious)

Method

Prepare the vegetables

Boil the potatoes until tender. Blanch the beans and peas briefly in salted water. Slice the cooked beetroot. Keep everything warm.

Make the sauce

Heat oil and butter in a pan. Add the shells and cook until they caramelise slightly. Add the shallot, carrot, celery and garlic and cook until soft. Deglaze with white wine, then add cognac and let the alcohol cook off. Cover with stock and simmer 20–30 minutes.

Strain, reduce to a silky consistency, then whisk in a little cream and butter. Season to taste.

Cook the turbot

Season the fillets lightly. Heat butter and a touch of oil in a pan. Cook the fish gently on both sides until just done — opaque but still moist.

Assemble the plate

Spoon the sauce generously over the plate. Place the turbot fillets on top. Arrange the potatoes, beans, peas and beetroot neatly around the fish. Add the vegetable purée and compote. Finish with fresh herbs.

Serving

This dish is perfect with a chilled glass of dry white wine — Chablis, Sancerre or a mineral Rhône white work beautifully. Serve immediately, while the sauce is glossy and the fish still succulent.

A simple plate — but with all the elegance of a French brasserie classic. Bon appétit.

Check out these other great fish dishes:

Lesley's salmon with red wine braised lentils

Cod filet and shrimps with Nantua sauce