Ingredients

For the purèe:
  • 900g shallots,
  • ends trimmed
  • 120ml olive oil
  • 1 fresh thyme sprig
  • sea salt & black pepper
  • 1 knob of salted butter
  • 150ml double cream
For the halibut:
  • 4 even-sized halibut steaks,
  • boned, skinned, trimmed
  • 1 knob of salted butter
  • 1 splash of rapeseed oil
  • Sea salt & black pepper
For the sautéed lettuce:
  • Rapeseed oil
  • 1 knob of salted butter
  • 2 little gem lettuces,outer leaves removed, cut into halves
For the lemon beurre blanc:
  • 2 shallots
  • 1 tbsp. wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 4 tbsp. white wine
  • 1 tbsp. cold water
  • 225g salted butter cut into cubes
  • The finely grated zest of half a lemon
  • 4tbsp buttermilk
  • Seasoning

Method

To make the purée, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Lay 2 large sheets of foil on top of each other on a work surface. Place the shallots in the centre of the foil, pour over the olive oil, add the thyme and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Draw the sides of the foil up to the centre and crinkle the edges to seal and form a parcel. Place on a baking tray and roast in the oven for about 1½ hours until the shallots are really soft. Remove the papery skins and place the shallots in a liquidiser with the butter and cream. Blitz really well and pour into a bowl. Check the seasoning and set aside.

To cook the halibut: Place the fillets of halibut onto rectangles of parchment or greaseproof paper cut slightly larger than the fillets themselves. Heat a frying pan until hot, add a splash of rapeseed oil and the butter followed by the halibut steaks and fry for about 5 minutes, turning to colour wellon both sides.

To sauté the lettuce, at the same time heat a frying pan, add a splash of rapeseed oil and the butter and gently fry the little gem lettuce halves, turning to colour.

To serve, warm the shallot purée and lemon beurre blanc and check the seasoning. Remove the fish from the water bath, snip open the bag and carefully remove.

Place the halibut steaks on top of the shallot purée and the lettuce. Spoon over some beurre blanc and serve immediately.

Lemon beurre blanc: Peel and finely slice the shallots. Place into a saucepan together with the wine vinegar, lemon juice and white wine. Bring to the boil and reduce the liquid to about a tablespoon. Add the cold water and keep on the heat in order to reduce once again to 1 tablespoon.

Turn the heat down and over a low heat, slowly whisk in the butter about 25g at a time. The sauce will emulsify (thicken and lighten in colour). Once all the butter has been added, remove the pan from the heat and finally, to complete the recipe, pass the sauce through a sieve into another saucepan. Do not keep the sauce in the fridge, as it will separate. To re-heat, carefully stir the sauce in a saucepan over a low heat, check the seasoning and just before serving stir in the finely grated lemon zest and the buttermilk.

Ingredients

For the purèe:
  • 900g shallots,
  • ends trimmed
  • 120ml olive oil
  • 1 fresh thyme sprig
  • sea salt & black pepper
  • 1 knob of salted butter
  • 150ml double cream
For the halibut:
  • 4 even-sized halibut steaks,
  • boned, skinned, trimmed
  • 1 knob of salted butter
  • 1 splash of rapeseed oil
  • Sea salt & black pepper
For the sautéed lettuce:
  • Rapeseed oil
  • 1 knob of salted butter
  • 2 little gem lettuces,outer leaves removed, cut into halves
For the lemon beurre blanc:
  • 2 shallots
  • 1 tbsp. wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 4 tbsp. white wine
  • 1 tbsp. cold water
  • 225g salted butter cut into cubes
  • The finely grated zest of half a lemon
  • 4tbsp buttermilk
  • Seasoning

Method

To make the purée, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Lay 2 large sheets of foil on top of each other on a work surface. Place the shallots in the centre of the foil, pour over the olive oil, add the thyme and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Draw the sides of the foil up to the centre and crinkle the edges to seal and form a parcel. Place on a baking tray and roast in the oven for about 1½ hours until the shallots are really soft. Remove the papery skins and place the shallots in a liquidiser with the butter and cream. Blitz really well and pour into a bowl. Check the seasoning and set aside.

To cook the halibut: Place the fillets of halibut onto rectangles of parchment or greaseproof paper cut slightly larger than the fillets themselves. Heat a frying pan until hot, add a splash of rapeseed oil and the butter followed by the halibut steaks and fry for about 5 minutes, turning to colour wellon both sides.

To sauté the lettuce, at the same time heat a frying pan, add a splash of rapeseed oil and the butter and gently fry the little gem lettuce halves, turning to colour.

To serve, warm the shallot purée and lemon beurre blanc and check the seasoning. Remove the fish from the water bath, snip open the bag and carefully remove.

Place the halibut steaks on top of the shallot purée and the lettuce. Spoon over some beurre blanc and serve immediately.

Lemon beurre blanc: Peel and finely slice the shallots. Place into a saucepan together with the wine vinegar, lemon juice and white wine. Bring to the boil and reduce the liquid to about a tablespoon. Add the cold water and keep on the heat in order to reduce once again to 1 tablespoon.

Turn the heat down and over a low heat, slowly whisk in the butter about 25g at a time. The sauce will emulsify (thicken and lighten in colour). Once all the butter has been added, remove the pan from the heat and finally, to complete the recipe, pass the sauce through a sieve into another saucepan. Do not keep the sauce in the fridge, as it will separate. To re-heat, carefully stir the sauce in a saucepan over a low heat, check the seasoning and just before serving stir in the finely grated lemon zest and the buttermilk.