PREPARE THE GEM LETTUCE BALLOTINE (Can Be Done Ahead)
1. Halve the baby gem lettuces lengthwise. Drizzle the cut sides with olive oil and season with black pepper.
2. Char the lettuce on a very hot griddle pan or under a broiler, cut side down, for 1–2 minutes until you achieve good char marks but the lettuce retains its crunch. You want smoky colour on the outside with raw, crunchy texture within. Remove and let cool completely.
3. Combine the finely chopped anchovies with the grated Parmesan in a small bowl to make the filling mixture.
4. Lay out a large sheet of cling film on your work surface. Arrange 4 slices of Parma ham in a row, overlapping slightly, to create a rectangle roughly 20 × 15cm (8 × 6 inches). Spread half the anchovy-Parmesan mixture across the centre of the ham. Place the charred gem lettuce halves end-to-end along the centre in a line.
5. Roll tightly using the cling film to help you, tucking the Parma ham around the lettuce to form a neat cylinder. Twist the ends of the cling film tightly like a Christmas cracker to compress the ballotine. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make a second ballotine.
6. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up. The ballotines can be made up to 24 hours ahead.

PREPARE THE CRISPY POTATOES
7. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1cm (½-inch) thick rounds, or use a ring cutter for precision.
8. Par-cook the potato rounds in salted boiling water for 8–10 minutes until just tender when pierced with a knife but not falling apart. Drain and pat very dry with kitchen paper — this is critical for achieving crispness.
9. When ready to serve, heat duck fat or clarified butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the potato discs for 3–4 minutes per side until deep golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and season with fine salt immediately.

CONFIT THE HALIBUT
10. Season the halibut fillets generously with fine sea salt on all sides. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes while you prepare the duck fat.
11. Gently heat the duck fat in a deep saucepan or straight-sided sauté pan with the thyme, bay leaf, crushed garlic and peppercorns. Bring the fat to 55–60°C (130–140°F) using an instant-read or probe thermometer. The fat should feel warm but should never simmer or bubble.
12. Gently lower the halibut fillets into the warm duck fat, ensuring they are fully submerged. If the temperature drops, gently raise the heat, but never let it exceed 65°C (150°F).
13. Confit for 12–18 minutes depending on the thickness of your fillets. The halibut is done when it turns opaque throughout, feels gently firm but still yields to pressure, and flakes easily along its natural lines. The internal temperature should reach approximately 52–54°C (125–130°F).
14. Carefully lift the halibut from the fat using a slotted spoon or fish spatula. Rest on a warm plate lined with kitchen paper for 30 seconds. If you prefer, gently peel away the skin before plating — it will not have crisped during the confit and removes easily. Transfer to a clean warm plate.

MAKE THE CAVIAR HOLLANDAISE
15. Clarify the butter if not already done: melt unsalted butter gently in a small saucepan, let it settle, skim off the white foam and pour the clear golden butter into a jug, leaving the milky solids behind. Keep warm.
16. Set up a bain-marie. Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water — the bowl should not touch the water.
17. Whisk the egg yolks with the lemon juice, white wine vinegar and a tablespoon of warm water in the bowl. Whisk continuously until the mixture becomes thick, pale and holds a ribbon trail — about 3–4 minutes. If the eggs start to look scrambled at the edges, remove the bowl from the heat immediately and whisk vigorously.
18. Remove the bowl from the heat and begin adding the clarified butter in a very thin, steady stream, whisking constantly. The sauce will emulsify and thicken. If it becomes too thick, add a teaspoon of warm water to loosen.
19. Season with salt, white pepper and cayenne. Taste and adjust the lemon juice — the hollandaise should be rich but bright enough to cut through the duck fat on the fish.
20. Fold in the caviar just before serving, stirring very gently so as not to crush the eggs. The caviar should remain mostly intact, providing little pops of brininess throughout the sauce.

FINISH THE BALLOTINES
21. Remove the ballotines from the fridge and unwrap the cling film. Trim the ends neatly, then cut each ballotine into 4 portions (8 pieces total, 2 per serving).
22. Optionally, sear briefly in a hot dry pan for 30–60 seconds, turning once, to warm the Parma ham and give it a slight crispness.

PLATE THE DISH
23. Place a piece of confit halibut slightly off-centre on each warm plate.
24. Spoon a generous amount of caviar hollandaise over and around the halibut — it should act like a blanket enveloping the fish.
25. Position a crispy potato disc alongside. Top each potato with a small quenelle or spoonful of caviar.
26. Arrange two ballotine pieces on the plate, angled to show the cross-section of charred lettuce, ham and filling.
27. Finish with a scattering of snipped chives, a few micro herbs if using, and a delicate drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.