Steamed Halibut with Champagne Velouté and Caviar Pearls

⏱ 75 min · Serves 4

A whisper-light fillet of halibut, steamed until it just flakes, sitting in a silken velouté built on Champagne and fish fumet. Finished with a spoon of caviar, a slick of chive oil and a scatter of blanched leek — this is the kind of plate that quietly stops conversation.

Per serving: 545 kcal · 39.0g protein · 8.0g carbs · 38.0g fat

Ingredients

• 4 halibut fillets, skinned, about 160g each
• 1 tbsp light olive oil, for the steamer paper
• Fine sea salt and white pepper
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 30g chives, plus extra to garnish
• 60ml grapeseed oil (for chive oil)
• 2 leeks, white parts only
• 30g unsalted butter, plus 40g cold diced butter for the sauce
• 2 banana shallots, finely sliced
• 200ml Champagne or dry sparkling wine
• 400ml good fish stock or fumet
• 100ml double cream
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 30–40g caviar or salmon roe (about 2 tsp per plate)
• Micro herbs or dill fronds, to finish

Method

1. Make the chive oil: blanch 30g chives for 10 seconds, refresh in iced water, squeeze bone dry. Blitz with the grapeseed oil for 1 minute until vivid green, then strain through a coffee filter or fine muslin. Set aside.
2. Slice one leek into fine 4cm julienne, blanch 30 seconds in salted boiling water, refresh and drain. Finely slice the second leek for the sauce.
3. Sweat the shallots and sliced leek in 30g butter with a pinch of salt over low heat for 8–10 minutes until completely soft but not coloured.
4. Add the Champagne and reduce by three quarters. Add the fish stock and reduce by half, then add the cream and simmer 5 minutes.
5. Blitz the sauce until smooth, then pass through a fine sieve into a clean pan. Season with salt, white pepper and lemon juice. Keep warm below a simmer.
6. Season the halibut all over with salt and the lemon zest, and rest 10 minutes. Line a steamer with lightly oiled parchment.
7. Steam the halibut over gently simmering water for 7–9 minutes, until the flesh is just opaque and flakes with light pressure (52°C at the centre). Rest 2 minutes.
8. Whisk the cold diced butter into the warm velouté off the heat, then froth with a hand blender for 20 seconds until light and foamy.
9. Warm the leek julienne. Spoon velouté into shallow bowls, sit the halibut on top, crown with leek, a quenelle or spoon of caviar, dots of chive oil and micro herbs. Serve at once.