Brown Butter Halibut with Caper Crumbs

First, make the crumbs. Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add the small knob of butter; let the butter melt, then add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until the crumbs have turned golden. Add the capers and cook for half a minute more, then carefully tip the pan contents into a dish or bowl to cool slightly. When cooled, stir the chopped parsley and lemon zest through the crumbs and season them to your liking with salt and pepper, then set aside while you cook the fish.

Switch on your oven to 140⁰C (Gas Mark 2). Take an ovenproof pan large enough to hold the fish fillets fairly snugly, then place it over a low-medium heat and add the 240g butter. When the butter has melted, add the diced shallot, bay leaves and peppercorns, and cook, stirring gently, until the butter becomes light brown in colour and smells nutty. Take the pan off the heat to cool just a little, then carefully place the fish fillets in the pan, turning them so that they are coated all over in the warm butter. Put the pan in the hot oven to cook for 6-8 mins, depending on the thickness of the fish, then take the dish out of the oven, turn the fillets over and return to the oven to cook for a further 6 minutes, or until the fish is just opaque and feels firm to the touch.

If you are steaming broccoli or other greens, do so while the fish cooks. When the fish is ready and the greens are cooked, place the greens in the centres of two plates, then sit a cooked fish fillet on the top. Drizzle the halibut with any remaining butter sauce from the oven pan, then scatter the crumbs over the top and serve.