Herby monkfish
Prep time: 25 - 30 minutes
Cooking time: 45 - 50 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 675g (1½lb) baby new potatoes
- 2–3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 sprig of rosemary, leaves only
- A small handful of sea salt flakes
- 4 x 150g (5½oz) monkfish fillets
- Salt and freshly ground
- Black pepper
- 2 tbsp thyme leaves
- 1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
- 8 slices pancetta
- 6 garlic cloves, bruised
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- Splash of white wine
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°C/Gas 6). Toss the potatoes in the oil in a roasting tin and cook in the oven for 35 minutes, shaking occasionally. Roughly chop the rosemary with the salt, scatter over the potatoes and roast a further 10–15 minutes, turning occasionally until crisp and golden.
2 Meanwhile, season the monkfish and sprinkle with the thyme and rosemary. Wrap 2 slices of pancetta around each fillet and arrange in a lightly greased ovenproof dish. Scatter the bruised garlic cloves around, drizzle with oil, lemon juice, and wine, and then bake for 25–30 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and the pancetta is crisp.
3 To serve, remove the pancetta-wrapped monkfish from the dish using a fish slice, and serve on warmed plates with the rosemary roasted potatoes and a generous spoonful of the herby green sauce or the lemon, wine, and herb sauce.
Herby green sauce
- 4 canned anchovies, finely chopped
- 4 gherkins, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped basil
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped chives
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped dill
- 4 tbsp capers, drained well
- Approximately 120ml (4fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
1 Chop all the ingredients, except for the oil and pepper, together. There should be a slightly chunky texture to the mixture.
2 Spoon into a bowl then gradually drizzle in the oil, stirring constantly, until all is incorporated and you have a nice spoonable sauce. Season to taste.
Lemon, wine and herb sauce
- 20g (3/4oz) butter
- 1 small shallot, very finely chopped
- 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) chicken stock
- 300ml (10fl oz) white wine
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- 10g (1/4oz) butter, softened
- 10g (1/4oz) white wine
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- 10g (1/4oz) butter, softened
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp double cream
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped dill
- 1 tbsp thyme leaves
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Saute the shallots in the butter for 2 - 3 minutes or until softened. Add the stock, wine, and lemon juice, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 - 6 minutes.
2 In a bowl, blend the softened butter with the flour to a paste, then whisk into the sauce base, until dissolved and the sauce has thickened slightly. Add the cream and simmer for a further 3 - 5 minutes. Stir in the dill, thyme, and seasoning to taste.
Recipe courtesty of MasterChef EveryDay, DK, £20, dk.com. Buy it at a discount from
Saga Bookshop
.