Halibut Timbales I

Ingredients

• 1 lb halibut
• ⅓ cup thick cream
• ¾ tsp salt
• few grains cayenne
• 1½ tsp lemon juice
• 3 egg whites

Method

Halibut timbales are a bound mousse — the structure depends on trapping air in egg white foam and stabilising it with fish purée and cream. Start by poaching 450g halibut in salted boiling water until it flakes easily (around 8–10 minutes). This method is gentler than steaming and seasons the flesh directly. Drain thoroughly, then push the cooked fish through a fine sieve whilst still warm; the heat makes the protein more pliable and the sieve breaks it into a smooth paste with no fibres or grit. This purée is your foundation.

Fold the warm fish with salt, cayenne, and lemon juice — the acid firms the proteins slightly and cuts any earthiness. In a separate bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks; do not overwhip past this point or you'll separate the fat. Fold the cream into the fish purée in two additions using a spatula, turning the bowl rather than stirring. The cream's dairy fat enriches the mousse and adds lift. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold firm peaks with no slump — overbeaten whites become grainy and collapse during cooking. Fold the whites into the fish-and-cream mixture in three additions, folding only until no white streaks remain. Overworking deflates the foam.

Divide the mixture among six buttered ramekins or dariole moulds. Set them in a baking pan and surround with hot water halfway up their sides; this water bath distributes heat gently and prevents the outer edge from setting before the centre. Cover each mould with buttered paper to trap steam. Bake at 180°C for 18–22 minutes — the timbales are done when the surface springs back lightly to a finger tap and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean with no liquid pooling. They will rise slightly and feel set but still carry a tremor of moisture within.

Run a small knife around the inside of each mould and invert onto a warmed plate. The timbale should slip out cleanly. Spoon warm béchamel or lobster sauce around each one and finish with parsley. Serve immediately — timbales collapse and toughen as they cool.