Herb-crusted turbot with hasselback potatoes, clams and butter sauce

Begin by making a herb oil ideally the day before, as it will need time to strain overnight. Pour the oil into a saucepan and gently heat to 50°C. Add the chopped chives, then blend either in a jug blender or using a stick blender until dark green in colour (this will take a good few minutes). Line a fine sieve with muslin cloth or a j-cloth and set it over a bowl, then pour the oil into it. Leave the oil to strain in the fridge overnight

The sauce can be made in advance too. Pour the olive oil into a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the shallots and parsley stalks (tying the stalks together makes it easier to remove them later), then gently cook until soft but without colour

Pour in the white wine, bring to a simmer then leave to reduce until sticky and syrupy (around 20-30 minutes). Pour in the cream and white balsamic, then slowly whisk in the butter bit by bit. Lift out the stalks, transfer the sauce to a blender then blitz until smooth. Reserve in the fridge until needed

To make the herb crust, place all the ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth. Roll the mixture out until 4mm thick between 2 sheets of baking paper. Reserve in the fridge to chill and firm up

For the clams, place a good quality medium saucepan over a high heat. Once hot, add the oil, quickly followed by the drained clams, shallots and parsley stalks. Pour in the wine, cover with a lid and cook for around 3 minutes

After 3 minutes, the clams should have opened up (discard any that haven't). Drain, leave until cool enough to handle, then pick the meat out of the shells and set aside in a pan to reheat before serving

For the potatoes, preheat an oven to 185°C/gas mark 4. Trim a little bit away from the long side of each potato so they sit flat on a plate. Make incisions all along the way of the potato with a 2mm gap between each cut to hasselback them – it helps to put a wooden spoon or similar next to the potato to ensure you don’t accidentally cut all the way through them. Transfer the potatoes to a sheet of tin foil, add the thyme sprig, season with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap up the parcel and cook for 25 minutes

While you wait, pick through the samphire and remove any tough or woody stems. Blanch the samphire in boiling salted water for 30 seconds, then drain and refresh in iced water. Drain again and add them to the pan with the clams to reheat before serving

Take the chilled herb crust out of the fridge and carefully cut it into the same size as your turbot fillets, so they will completely cover the fish. Place the turbot fillets on a baking tray, then cover with the herb crust

After 25 minutes, open the foil on the potatoes and spoon over the oil that has collected in the bottom. Return to the oven, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes until golden brown

Remove the potatoes from the oven and turn the heat down to 150°C/gas mark 2. Place the herb-crusted fish in the oven and cook for 10 minutes

Meanwhile, very gently reheat the sauce and the clams with samphire. Towards the end of the cooking time for the fish, return the potatoes to the oven to warm up and warm your serving plates

Leave the fish to rest for 2 minutes before plating. To serve, place each piece of fish on the left side of the plate. To the right, add a potato and top with a dollop of crème fraiche. Pour the sauce in the centre of the plate, then finish with the clams, samphire, dots of the herb oil and caviar (if using)