Grilled halibut steak with Parmesan and ginger hollandaise

The success of this simple dish lies in the grilling of the fish, which must not be overdone, and in the sauce, with its hints of Parmesan and ginger. Serve some simply boiled French beans or wilted spinach on the side.

SERVES 4

4 halibut steaks (about 220g each)

60ml light olive or grapeseed oil

20g Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Parmesan and ginger hollandaise

2 tbsp cold water

1½ tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp roughly crushed black pepper

3 egg yolks

200g clarified butter

30g Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated

Juice of ½ lemon

5g fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

To serve

1 lemon, quartered

First make the hollandaise. Put the water, wine vinegar and crushed pepper into a small pan, place over a low heat and let bubble gently to reduce by one-third. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Meanwhile, heat a ridged griddle pan over a medium heat.

Once the reduced liquor is cold, add the egg yolks and mix, using a small balloon whisk. Place the pan over a gentle heat (use a heat diffuser if you have one) and whisk continuously, scraping the base of the pan well. Gradually increase the heat – the sauce needs to emulsify steadily. After 6–8 minutes the mixture will be foamy and creamy, and the temperature should not be higher than 65°C.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the warm clarified butter, then shower in the 30g Parmesan and add the lemon juice and ginger. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then strain through a fine chinois, or leave as it is if you don’t mind the odd bit of crushed pepper. Cover with cling film and set aside in a warm place. The sauce must be used within 5–10 minutes of being made.

Pat the halibut steaks dry, season lightly with salt and brush with oil. Brush the ridges of the griddle pan with oil as well, taking care not to burn the brush hairs (you can also use kitchen paper for this).

Place the halibut steaks on the very hot griddle and cook, without moving, for 1½–2 minutes, depending on thickness, then turn them over and cook on the other side for the same time.

To serve, place a halibut steak on each of 4 warmed plates. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan, add pepper to taste, then coat half the surface of each piece of fish with the hollandaise sauce. Add a lemon quarter to each plate and serve at once, with any remaining hollandaise served separately in a jug.