Equipment
Ingredients
Halibut
- 300 g halibut fillets, skinless, patted dry
- 15 ml olive oil
- 3 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Herb Breadcrumbs
- 40 g panko breadcrumbs
- 15 ml olive oil
- 5 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 g lemon zest, finely grated
Broccoli
- 200 g broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
Prawn Butter Sauce
- 100 g raw prawns, peeled, deveined, and finely chopped
- 60 g unsalted butter, cubed and cold
- 20 g shallot, finely minced
- 5 g garlic, minced
- 50 ml dry white wine
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 5 g fresh chives, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 714 kcal
- Protein
- 47 g
- Carbohydrates
- 28 g
- Fat
- 46 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 948 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 19 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 20 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 253 mg
- Potassium
- 1267 mg
- Calcium
- 174 mg
- Iron
- 3.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 96 mg
- Phosphorus
- 598 mg
- Zinc
- 2.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 334 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 100 mg
- Vitamin E
- 6.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 157 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 2.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.39 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.33 mg
- Niacin
- 10.7 mg
- Folate
- 117 mcg
- Water
- 286 g
- Alcohol
- 3 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Gather and prepare all ingredients. Finely chop the raw prawns, mince the shallot and garlic, zest the lemon, and chop the herbs. Wash hands, utensils, and cutting boards thoroughly with hot soapy water after handling the raw prawns and halibut to prevent cross-contamination.
In a large skillet, heat 15ml of olive oil over medium heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs and toast for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly until deeply golden brown. Transfer to a small mixing bowl, let cool slightly, then stir in the chopped parsley, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Wipe the skillet completely clean.
Bring a medium saucepan of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 3 minutes until crisp-tender and vibrantly green. Drain well and cover loosely to keep warm.
Pat the halibut fillets completely dry with paper towels to ensure a good crust, then season generously with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat the remaining 15ml of olive oil in the clean skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place the fillets in the pan and sear without moving for 3 to 4 minutes per side. The internal temperature must reach 57°C/135°F. Remove to a warm plate and loosely tent with foil.
Reduce the skillet heat to medium-low. Add 10g of the butter along with the minced shallot and garlic, cooking for 1 minute until soft and translucent. Add the finely chopped prawns and cook for 1 minute until they just turn opaque and pink. Pour in the white wine to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the fish, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
Remove the skillet entirely from the heat. Vigorously whisk in the remaining 50g of cold cubed butter, one piece at a time, allowing each piece to emulsify into the sauce before adding the next. The sauce will become creamy and slightly thickened. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and chopped chives.
Divide the warm blanched broccoli evenly between two serving plates. Carefully place a rested halibut fillet over the broccoli on each plate. Spoon the rich prawn butter sauce generously over the fish, ensuring the prawn pieces are distributed evenly. Top the dish with a heavy dusting of the crispy herb breadcrumbs and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Using cold, cubed butter is the absolute key to a successful beurre blanc style sauce. Warm or room temperature butter will melt instantly into grease rather than forming a stable emulsion.
- If you purchase whole, head-on prawns, do not throw away the heads and shells. Quickly sauté them in a little oil, then steep them in the white wine you intend to use for the recipe. Strain the wine before deglazing to inject a massive amount of concentrated seafood flavor.
- The Italian concept of pangrattato or poor man's parmesan used here is brilliant for adding contrasting crunch to naturally soft, flaky fish dishes.
- Do not skip patting the halibut dry. Moisture creates steam, which is the enemy of a crisp, golden sear.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Store components separately. Seafood is highly perishable. Reheat sauce very gently to avoid breaking the emulsion.
Troubleshooting
Butter sauce looks greasy and separated
Cause: The pan was too hot when the butter was added, causing the emulsion to break and the butterfat to separate.
Fix: Vigorously whisk in a teaspoon of cold water or heavy cream off the heat to try and re-emulsify the fats.
Prevention: Always remove the pan from the heat source completely before whisking in cold, cubed butter.
Halibut stuck to the pan and tore when flipping
Cause: The fish was too wet before cooking, the pan was not hot enough, or it was moved too soon.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once torn, but the breadcrumb topping will hide cosmetic imperfections.
Prevention: Pat fish exceedingly dry with paper towels, ensure oil is shimmering hot before adding fish, and let it release naturally from the pan before flipping.
Cultural Context
This dish represents a harmonious marriage of European culinary traditions. It borrows the sophisticated beurre blanc mounting technique from classic French gastronomy and pairs it with the rustic Italian tradition of pangrattato, where toasted breadcrumbs are used to provide seasoning and texture in place of expensive aged cheeses.
