Pan-fried halibut steak with sauce blanquette and butter-fried spring vegetables – An easy and truly elegant fish dish.
Pan-fried halibut steak with sauce blanquette and spring vegetables is quite simply one of those dishes that genuinely surprises. Halibut is – to my mind – a completely underrated fish. The flesh is firm and juicy, and it tastes wonderful when it is cooked just right.
I have used halibut steaks, which have one large bone running crossways through the middle. It is very easy to work around, so there is no need to fear lots of small, annoying fish bones. It is one bone – and it is easy to deal with. You can also use other cuts of halibut, but keep an eye on the cooking time according to thickness. The most important thing is that the fish is not overcooked.
Halibut tastes best when it is only just cooked through and the flakes are still moist and tender.
I always start with the sauce blanquette. It is actually very quick to make and can sit and keep warm over the lowest heat without thickening. Just before serving I give it a quick go with the stick blender so it becomes light, with a slight foam on top. The flavour is mild, rounded and elegant, with that classic creamy consistency that wraps around the fish without overpowering it – it brings the whole dish together beautifully.
The fish is left to come to room temperature for 10–15 minutes on the kitchen counter before it is seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper and fried in butter and a little oil. About 2–2½ minutes on each side – then it rests briefly on a chopping board. Thicker pieces need a little longer.
In the same pan I fry leek rings, green asparagus cut into smaller pieces and peas – freshly podded if possible – in butter. They need only 2–3 minutes, so the vegetables still have bite and freshness. A little grated lemon zest over the top at the end, and it tastes absolutely wonderful.
I serve it with the sauce blanquette on the base of the plate, the vegetables to one side and the fish nestled up against them. A little herb oil and fresh pea shoots on top – and you have a dish that is both elegant and irresistible.
It can be served all year round, but is perfect in spring and summer. If you use smaller pieces of fish, it works beautifully as a starter (the sauce will then stretch to 6–8 people). As a main course I recommend the stated quantity and serve it with boiled new potatoes – the finishing touch to a really good summery fish dish.
Pan-fried halibut with sauce blanquette and spring vegetables
Ingredients
Blanquette sauce
- 200 g butter
- 200 ml stock – fish or chicken
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp crème fraîche, ideally 38% fat
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
The fish
- 6-800 g halibut – ideally steaks
- 40 g butter
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- A little oil
Spring vegetables
- 25 g butter
- 3 leeks, sliced into rings
- 1 bunch green asparagus, cut into smaller pieces
- 100 g peas, freshly podded if possible
- 1 lemon, finely grated zest of
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
To serve
- Pea shoots or dill
- Boiled or sautéed potatoes
- Herb oil, optional – click here for the recipe
Method
Blanquette sauce
- If you can, take the eggs and crème fraîche out of the fridge about 20 minutes beforehand.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan together with the stock and heat it through well. Turn off the heat and let the mixture stand for a moment. Ideally, let it come down to about 80°C.
- Whisk the egg, egg yolks, crème fraîche and lemon juice together in another small saucepan – this one should not be over the heat.
- Then add the butter mixture in a thin stream while blending the sauce constantly with a stick blender. Continue until all of the butter and stock mixture has been used, blending constantly as you slowly pour it in.Tilt the pan if needed, so the blender catches the sauce straight away.
- Season the sauce to taste with more lemon juice, salt and freshly ground pepper and blend it thoroughly.
- Keep the sauce warm over the lowest heat and give it another quick blend just before serving, if you like.
The fish and the vegetables
- Pat the fish dry and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Leave it to sit on the kitchen counter for 10-15 minutes or so, so it is not fridge-cold.
- Melt the butter and a little oil in a frying pan over a good high heat, and fry the fish for about 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on thickness – until golden and cooked through.If the pieces are thick, you may need 3-3 1/2 minutes on each side – but take care not to overcook.Set the pieces aside on a chopping board and let them rest while you cook the vegetables.
- Melt the butter in the same pan and fry the vegetables over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes – or until the leeks are only just soft. Grate the lemon zest over and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. The asparagus should still have bite and the vegetables should keep their bright green colour.
Serving
- Divide the sauce between 4 plates (shallow bowls work well), along with the vegetables and the fish. Drizzle with a little herb oil, if using, and top with pea shoots and freshly ground pepper.
- Depending on how you are serving it, you can add boiled or sautéed potatoes, for example.
Nutrition
Premium
Gode alternativer til helleflynder her i marts, hvis ens fiskehandler ikke har?
Hej Line
Andre typer hvid fisk som kuller, kulmule, lyssej og torsk vil også være super til 🙂
Warm wishes, Dianna
Lækkert 😉 Tusind tak
Hej Tenna
Hvor gør det mig glad at høre, tusind tak 🙂
Warm wishes, Dianna
Det ser meget lækkert ud. Kan man bruge fløde i stedet for creme fraiche?
Hej Jeannette
Tusind tak 🙂 Jeg har ikke prøvet, men det tænker jeg godt du kan:)
Warm wishes, Dianna
8 gram protein, det er jo helt ude af kontext
Hej Ruddie
Det er godt spottet – den havde ikke medregnet fisken. Det er rettet nu – tak fordi du skrev det 🙂
Warm wishes, Dianna