Barbecue sea bream with asparagus, herb hollandaise & lardo di colonnata

SERVES 3 PREP 5 mins COOK 25 mins

EASY

3 egg yolks

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

200g unsalted butter small bunch each of chives and chervil,

chopped small bunch each of flat-leaf parsley,

tarragon and basil, leaves picked 100ml olive oil, plus extra to serve 400-500g sea bream, gutted and cleaned 4 large asparagus spears, cut into 1cm

pieces

4 lardo di colonnata slices

1 lemon, juiced

1 Bring a medium pan of water to a simmer over a high heat. Place a metal bowl over the top, ensuring the base doesn’t touch the water. Tip in the egg yolks, with a splash of water and the white wine vinegar. Whisk continuously, ensuring the yolks don’t scramble (keep the water at a gentle simmer and remove the bowl from the pan if it gets too hot). When the mixture is light in colour and has thickened, remove from the heat.

2 Melt the butter in a small pan. Slowly pour the butter into the eggs, whisking continuously until you have a thick, glossy hollandaise. Season with sea salt and fold in the chives and chervil. Cover and set aside until needed.

3 Bring a pan of water to the boil. Add the parsley, tarragon and basil for

30 secs, then remove and place directly into a bowl of iced water. Once cold, squeeze out any excess water and roughly chop. Blitz in a blender, then slowly add the olive oil and half the lemon juice, blending until smooth. Season with salt, then pour into a bowl.

4 Light a barbecue. Season the fish inside and out with salt. Barbecue over a medium heat, turning regularly for 6-7 mins. Cook until lightly charred on both sides. If you haven’t got a fish cage, lay two sheets of foil onto the grill of the barbecue and use a spatula to carefully turn the fish.

5 Cook the asparagus in a pan of salted boiling water for 1 min, then drain and dress in a little olive oil. Lay the lardo slices over the fish, then spoon a little of the herb oil over and scatter over the asparagus. Squeeze over the remaining lemon juice and garnish with a few extra herbs. Serve with the hollandaise sauce on the side.