Roast Turbot on the Bone with Seaweed Butter and Charred Lemon

⏱ 45 min · Serves 2

A whole turbot tranche roasted on the bone stays impossibly juicy, then gets basted in a glossy, deep-green seaweed butter that tastes of clean sea air. Charred lemon and a spoonful of the buttery pan juices finish it — one of those dishes that looks like a restaurant plate but leans almost entirely on good fish and good butter.

Per serving: 648 kcal · 52.0g protein · 4.0g carbs · 47.0g fat

Ingredients

• 2 turbot tranches on the bone, 350–400g each (or 1 x 800g turbot crown)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Flaky sea salt and freshly cracked white pepper
• 120g unsalted butter, softened
• 10g dried nori or dulse flakes (or 20g fresh sea lettuce, finely chopped)
• 1 tsp wakame flakes, crumbled
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 lemon, halved, for charring
• 100ml dry white wine
• 1 tbsp capers, rinsed (optional)
• Sea purslane or samphire, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Make the seaweed butter first: blitz or beat together the softened butter, nori/dulse flakes, wakame, grated garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley and a good pinch of salt until evenly green-flecked. Roll half into a log in baking paper and chill; keep the rest at room temperature.
2. Take the turbot out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking. Pat both sides completely dry with kitchen paper and season generously with flaky salt and white pepper. Heat the oven to 200C fan / 220C conventional.
3. Set a heavy ovenproof frying pan or roasting tray over a medium-high heat with the olive oil. Lay the turbot in dark-skin-side down and sear for 2–3 minutes until lightly golden — don't move it.
4. Flip the fish, pour the white wine around it (not over it) and dot the room-temperature seaweed butter over the top. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10–14 minutes depending on thickness, basting once or twice with the buttery pan juices.
5. Meanwhile, put a dry pan on a high heat and press the lemon halves cut-side down until deeply charred, 2–3 minutes.
6. The turbot is done when a thin knife slides between flesh and bone with no resistance and the flesh lifts cleanly — internal temp around 50–52C. Rest in the pan for 4 minutes off the heat.
7. Swirl the capers and a slice or two of the chilled seaweed butter into the pan juices to make a glossy, emulsified sauce, spooning it over the fish. Add samphire to the pan for the last 30 seconds if using.
8. Serve on the bone with the charred lemon and the pan sauce poured over. Encourage everyone to lift the top fillets, then the bottom ones — the meat next to the bone is the best bit.