Red wine poached halibut with bacon & mushrooms

• red wine↗200ml ml
• fresh chicken stock↗100ml ml
• thyme sprigs↗3
• black peppercorns↗3
• halibut↗2 x 150g portions g
• streaky bacon↗2 rashers
• rapeseed oil↗1 tbsp tbsp
• butter↗1-2 tbsp tbsp
• wild mushrooms100g g

  (or a large king oyster mushroom, cut in half lengthways)

• lemon↗½

  juiced

• spinach↗115g g

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Put the wine, stock, thyme, peppercorns and a pinch of salt in a deep-sided frying pan and bring to just below the boil. Drop in the halibut, turn down the heat and poach for 8 mins or until flaking apart. While the fish is poaching, fry the bacon in a hot frying pan for 2 mins each side until crispy. Remove from the pan, cover with foil and keep warm in the oven.

2. 2

   In the same frying pan, heat the oil and 1 tbsp butter until foaming. Add the mushrooms and cook until you get a lovely golden colour. (If using a king oyster mushroom, turn over to get an even colour on both sides.) Once cooked, add the lemon juice to taste and sprinkle with a little salt.

3. 3

   Lift the cooked fish from the pan, lay on a plate, cover with foil and keep warm in the oven. Turn the heat up on the poaching liquid, reduce by two-thirds, then pour through a fine sieve.

4. 4

   Wash the spinach in cold water and add to the mushrooms. Season, add more butter if needed, and cook for about 3 mins, stirring until wilted. Divide the spinach and mushrooms between two plates and serve the halibut on top. Spoon over the reduced sauce and top with a rasher of crispy bacon.