Halibut with a creamy mushroom sauce
Being one of the most expensive species in the sea, halibut is deserving of an accompaniment which is as robust and luxurious, so I’ve opted for a peppery umami-rich mushroom sauce to go with. Halibut is the meatiest and largest fish that I get to work wi
SERVES
4
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
15
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
20
MINUTES
Ingredients
4 x 130g fillets of halibut
3.5 tbsp vegetable oil
Fine sea salt
2tb melted butter
For the sauce
3 tbsp rapeseed oil
250g chestnut mushrooms sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs of thyme leaves
150ml white wine
100ml fish stock
150g crème fraiche
1 tbsp green peppercorns
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the sauce, place a wide-based pan on medium-high heat.
Warm the rapeseed oil before adding the mushrooms, season generously and cook until caramelised. Stirring regularly to ensure even browning.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the minced garlic and thyme. Cook for 2 minutes until the garlic is golden.
Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the white wine to deglaze the pan, reduce by half.
Add the stock, bring to the boil and reduce by half.
Add the crème fraiche and warm through.
Finish the sauce with the green peppercorns and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Keep warm whilst cooking the halibut.
Remove the halibut from the fridge 15 minutes before you intend to cook it. Pat dry any excess moisture and season with fine sea salt.
Preheat your frying pan on a medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to sear the fish in batches.
Add the vegetable oil to the pan and warm before placing the halibut in the pan, laying the fillets down and away from you, to avoid oil splatters.
Once in the pan. do not disturb the fillet or move the pan. Allow the crust of caramelisation to develop evenly, approximately 2-3 minutes, until the fish is cooked 50 per cent of the way.
Using a fish slice, confidently lift the fillet from the pan and place on a lightly oiled tray. Brush each fillet with melted butter.
Place the par-cooked fillet in a 200°C preheated oven to finish cooking, this time will vary depending on the thickness of each fillet.
