Poached Halibut Cheeks with Julia Child’s Beurre Blanc and Ikura

Poached Halibut Cheeks with Julia Child’s Beurre BlancPoached Halibut Cheeks
Julia Child’s Beurre Blanc
Ikura & Chives
And
Julia Child Floribunda Roses

Celebrating Julia Child’s birthday has become a cherished tradition here on Taste With The Eyes. Each August, I return to her recipes, her stories, and her extraordinary influence on American cooking—and this year is no exception.

For Julia’s birthday, I’m serving tender poached halibut cheeks with her classic beurre blanc, finished with jewel-like salmon roe and fresh chives. Simple, elegant, and very much in the spirit of Julia: start with wonderful ingredients and treat them well. And as she famously said, “With enough butter, anything is good.”

Poached Halibut Cheeks with Julia Child’s Beurre Blanc and Ikura

ANNUAL JULIA CHILD BIRTHDAY TRIBUTES

2025

Julia Child’s Escargots à la Bourguignonne at a Parisian Bistrot (here)

2024

A Ladies Birthday Luncheon in Paris and Julia’s Coquilles St. Jacques Recipe (here)

2023

Chicken Liver Pâté at a Birthday Luncheon with Jacques Pépin (here)

2022

Julia and Jacques Prepare Gravlax Together (here)

2021

Julia’s Cambridge Kitchen and Recipe for Vichyssoise (here)

2020

Julia’s Upside-Down Martini (here)

 

Julia’s First Meal in France and Her Famous Recipe for Sole Meunière (here)

 

Figs and Sabayon à la Julia Child (here)

Poached Halibut Cheeks
With Julia Child’s Beurre Blanc
Recipe

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Bejeweled Salmon

Fresh Wild Kenai River Sockeye Salmon
Roasted with Creme Fraiche
Over Emerald Seaweed Salad
Topped with Coral Ikura

Seaweed Salad: Mix bright green seaweed with a small amount of toasted sesame oil, seasoned rice wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds.

Season both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper. To get the skin extra crispy, I put the salmon skin-side down over a sizzling hot teaspoon of olive oil in a ovenproof sauté pan and sear on the stove top over high heat for a few minutes.

Then top the salmon with crème fraîche and finish by roasting in a 400° oven. Serve over the seaweed salad, top with ikura (salmon roe). The terrific idea for roasting salmon with crème fraîche is not mine. I read Molly Wizenberg’s story of her father’s Alaskan fishing trips in Bon Appétit, and being a big fan of this French cultured cream, I thought I would try her method. The charming story can be found here.

Bejeweled Salmon: Coral & Emerald
Alaskan salmon, prepared French/Japanese fusion style, has bright clean flavors, a variety of interesting textures, and is a visual stunner!