Go Back
Print
Photograph of Oven-Baked Halibut with Norwegian Butter Sauce/Sandefjordsmor

Oven-Baked Halibut with Norwegian Butter Sauce/Sandefjordsmor

Supremely fresh, meaty, sweet halibut, brushed with olive oil, lemon juice, some freshly ground sea salt and black pepper and cooked simply in the oven, is a dish which is very hard to beat. Serve some Bearnaise or Norwegian Butter Sauce on the side, and we have straightforward, unpretentious food, fit for a king!!

Course Main Course
Cuisine Norwegian
Keyword butter sauce, halibut, Sandefjordsmor
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

For the halibut –

  • 800g fresh halibut, on the bone
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • freshly ground sea salt and black pepper
  • fresh dill or chopped fresh parsley and lemon wedges, to serve

For the Norwegian Butter Sauce/Sandefjordsmor –

  • 2 lemons, juiced
  • 125g double/heavy cream
  • 75g cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • sea salt, to taste
  • pinch of cayenne pepper, or more to taste
  • 2 generous tablespoons chopped, flat leaf parsley or tarragon leaves

Serving suggestions –

Instructions

  1. Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.

  2. Preheat oven to fan oven 200°C /220°C/425°F/Gas 7

  3. First, get the fish in the oven – lay the halibut on an oiled baking parchment lined baking tray.

  4. Use a very sharp knife to score the skin of the fish, just into the top layer of flesh.

  5. Rub in the olive oil and squeeze over the lemon juice. Leave the lemon skin on the tray, next to the fish.

  6. Grind over a generous helping of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

  7. Bake in the centre of a preheated hot oven for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the halibut is cooked to your liking.

  8. Serve: with the Norwegian Butter Sauce/Sandefjordsmor (see below) and your choice of accompaniments.

  9. Make the Norwegian Butter Sauce/Sandefjordsmor, whilst the fish cooks – juice the lemons directly into a sauce pan and reduce over a moderate heat until you have around 1 tablespoon. Keep a close eye on it, as it can reduce quickly and burn, very easily.

  10. Next, pour in the cream, heat and reduce until the cream and lemon juice cover the back of a spoon.

  11. Whisk in the butter, 2 or 3 cubes at a time, ensuring the butter has melted into the sauce, before adding any more. Continue until all the butter has emulsified into the cream.  This will take around 8 – 10 minutes.

  12. Add salt and pepper to taste and fold in the chopped herbs.

Recipe Notes

Equipment:

For the fish – 

  • kitchen scales and measuring spoons
  • baking tray lined with baking parchment
  • lemon reamer

For the Norwegian Butter Sauce/Sandefjordsmor –

  • kitchen sales and measuring spoons
  • saucepan and balloon whisk
  • lemon reamer
  • chopping board and knife

Where is the recipe for Norwegian Butter Sauce/Sandefjordsmor from?

The recipe for the Norwegian Butter Sauce/Sandefjordsmor is from Chef John on Food Wishes