Seared Halibut with Brown Butter Hollandaise & Charred Asparagus

⏱ 45 min · Serves 2

A restaurant-plate dinner you can absolutely pull off at home: halibut with a golden, crisp-edged crust, spears of blistered asparagus, and a hollandaise enriched with nutty brown butter so it tastes like hazelnuts and lemon. Silky, savoury and quietly showy.

Per serving: 842 kcal · 45.0g protein · 6.0g carbs · 71.0g fat

Ingredients

• 2 halibut fillets, skinless, about 180g each, 3cm thick
• 1 tbsp neutral oil (grapeseed or sunflower)
• 15g cold butter, for basting
• 1 thyme sprig
• Flaky sea salt and white pepper
• 250g asparagus, woody ends snapped off
• 1 tsp olive oil
• For the brown butter hollandaise:
• 150g unsalted butter, cubed
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tbsp water
• 2 tsp lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• Pinch of cayenne
• Fine salt
• To finish: 1 tbsp toasted flaked almonds, 1 tbsp chopped chives, lemon wedges

Method

1. Take the halibut out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking and pat very dry. Season both sides with flaky salt.
2. Make the brown butter: melt the 150g butter in a small pan over medium heat and keep cooking, swirling, for 4–6 minutes until the milk solids turn golden-brown and it smells nutty. Pour into a jug (keep the toasty solids) and let it cool to warm, not hot — about 60°C.
3. Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Whisk the egg yolks with the water, vinegar and lemon juice for 2–3 minutes until pale, thick and ribbon-like. Don't let the bowl get too hot; lift it off if it feels like it's tightening.
4. Off the heat, trickle in the warm brown butter a few drops at a time at first, whisking constantly, then in a slow stream until you have a glossy, spoonable sauce. Season with salt, cayenne and extra lemon. Keep somewhere warm (not hot), covered.
5. Heat a heavy frying pan over medium-high with the olive oil. Add the asparagus in a single layer, season, and cook 3–4 minutes, turning, until blistered but still snappy. Set aside and keep warm.
6. Wipe the pan, add the neutral oil and place over medium-high heat until shimmering. Lay in the halibut, presentation-side down, and press gently. Cook undisturbed 3–4 minutes until deep golden.
7. Flip, add the cold butter and thyme, and baste for 1–2 minutes until the fish is just opaque and flakes at the thickest point (52°C internal). Rest 2 minutes.
8. Spoon a pool of hollandaise onto warm plates, sit the asparagus alongside and the halibut on top. Scatter almonds and chives, add a lemon wedge and serve straight away.