Pan-Fried Halibut with Sauce Grenobloise
Pan-fried halibut with sauce Grenobloise sounds fancy, but it's simply cooked fish in a lemon, caper and brown butter sauce, and it's superb.
Despite sounding "grandiose", this recipe is very easy and pretty quick, weighing in at around 40 minutes, including preparation.
Fish Grenobloise
I've been a pretty fanatical cook for over 30 years, and dishes like this are, hands down, my favourite to cook.
Whether it is this, pan-fried skate wings with Prosecco sauce, my cod with a dill sauce or baked hake with romesco sauce, I am at my happiest in both the kitchen and at the table afterwards.
The cooking of this pan-fried halibut with sauce Grenobloise recipe is very simple and really very quick.
However, the preparation does require a little patience. By that I mainly mean removing the flesh from the lemon.
It is not difficult, and it's something that you may have done with an orange at some point in time.
Once that is done, it is a very simple case of frying some croutons and pan-frying your beautiful halibut and then making a very quick pan sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different type of fish?
Yes, sauce Grenobloise is a wonderfully versatile sauce. It works just as well with a firm white fish like cod or haddock as it does with oily fish like mackerel or salmon.
Do I have to use clarified butter?
No, but it is a classic interpretation of this dish.
But it works fairly well with regular butter, although you do have to be a little more careful not to burn the butter.
Do I really have to use the flesh of the lemon?
If you really want to make a "Grenobloise sauce", then yes.
You will get a similar flavour by using lemon juice, but it will be slightly different. If you leave the membrane on the segments, then you end up with a sauce that is pretty rubbish texturally.
Can I make this in advance?
In short, no. Halibut is an expensive piece of fish, and it is completely wasted if you cook it, cool it and reheat it!
Serving Suggestions
I have served my pan-fried halibut and sauce Grenobloise with some buttered herby potatoes and roasted tenderstem broccoli.
I would stick with a similar "2 veg vibe" if I were to change things up.
Other potato options that would work well would include my Parmentier potatoes or roasted crushed new potatoes.
As an alternative to the broccoli, you could go for something like my green beans amandine, or even my glazed chantenay carrots. The sweetness of the latter would be exceptional with the tart Grenobloise sauce.
Of course, you could always go with some mash. Mashed potato would work well, but the sweetness of swede and carrot mash or celeriac mash would be much more interesting.
Equipment Used
I only name-check specific brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- 28cm or 12" frying pan with a lid.
- Fish slice/spatula.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Weighing scales and measuring spoons.
Pan-Fried Halibut Steak with Sauce Grenobloise Recipe
Ingredients
For the Fish:
- 2 Thick-Cut Halibut Steaks 400g or 14oz total
- ¼-½ teaspoon Salt
- 35 g Clarified Butter (Ghee) 2 tablespoons
For the Sauce Grenobloise:
- 2 Slices Bread
- 50 g Butter 3 tablespoons
- 1 Lemon
- 2 tablespoon Capers
- 5 g Fresh Parsley ¼ cup unchopped volume
Instructions
- Season the halibut with the salt and set it aside.
- Remove the crusts from the bread (discard it), and cut the bread into 1cm (just under ½") cubes.
- Remove the top and the bottom of the lemon, then cut off the skin and pith; you are aiming to form a barrel shape.Then cut out the individual segments of lemon, leaving the membrane behind.Cut the segments into 5mm (just under ¼") pieces.
- Cut the butter for the sauce into evenly sized cubes. 10-15mm or around ½" will be fine.
- Finely chop the parsley.
- Heat the clarified butter in a 28cm or 11" pan over high-medium heat, and when the pan is hot, add the halibut and cook for 3 minutes. Do not mess with the fish during this time; just let it sit.Flip the fish and cook for another 90 seconds, then remove it, cover with foil and set it aside.
- Add the bread to the pan and cook until golden, then remove and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the diced butter; cook until a buerre noisette (brown butter) forms. Stir the butter whilst you are cooking it, and you are looking for little "brown" flecks to form soon after the butter begins to foam.This should take 6-8 minutes.
- As soon as you have a nice brown butter base, add the capers, lemon bits and parsley, and swirl to combine and gently heat through.
- Return the fish to the sauce, along with any resting juices, cover with a lid and remove from the heat.Allow the pan to sit for a couple of minutes for the fish to reheat a little, then serve.
