Halibut with a Welsh rarebit crust – by Andrew Brown

Ingredients

(serves four)

4 x 180g halibut steaks, skinned
4 large vine tomatoes, sliced in even rounds
600g new potatoes, cooked and sliced (kept hot)
1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
Sea salt
Black pepper
Lemon juice
1tbs parsley, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar

For rarebit crust 45ml milk
175g mature Cheddar cheese, grated
15g plain flour
10g fresh white breadcrumbs
1tbs mustard powder
Good shake of Worcestershire sauce
Salt
Pepper
1 large egg

Method

To make the crust, cook the milk and cheese slowly in a pan until smooth. Add flour, breadcrumbs and mustard powder. Continue to cook, stirring all the time, until the mixture starts to form a ball. Season with Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Remove from heat, cool, and fold in egg.

Roll the mixture between two sheets of greaseproof paper into a 2.3mm-thick square. Lay on a tray and freeze for one hour until set.

Lightly oil a baking tray. Lay out steaks. Grill on both sides, leaving slightly underdone. Cut the frozen rarebit crust into four even slices. Remove from paper.

Season fish. Place a slice of crust on top of each steak. Place on lower shelf of grill. Cook until golden brown.

Plate tomato slices on four large plates. Place potatoes in a bowl, add onion and season with salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. Drizzle tomatoes with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange potato salad on top of sliced tomatoes. Place fish on top. Serve immediately.

by Andrew Brown

Photo © Rob Whitrow