Roasted monkfish with wild mushroom and truffle broth
Meaty monkfish is wrapped in pancetta and roasted with garlic and rosemary-infused butter to keep it plump and juicy while adding plenty of flavour.
Ingredients
For the confit garlic
- 2 heads garlic, broken into cloves and peeled
- olive oil, to cover
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
For the roasted monkfish
- 1 monkfish fillet
- 6 blanched leek leaves, dark green parts only
- 6 thin slices pancetta
- caul fat, to wrap
- 25g/1 oz unsalted butter
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
For the wild mushroom and truffle broth
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 400g/14 oz wild mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp dried porcini mushrooms
- 25ml/1 fl oz Madeira
- 500ml/18 fl oz chicken stock
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
- 1 bunch watercress
Method
To make the garlic confit, place the garlic cloves in a small saucepan and cover in the olive oil. Add the thyme and bay and poach over a medium heat for 1 hour. Allow to cool and then break with a fork to a rough purée.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Wrap the monkfish in the leek leaves followed by the sliced pancetta. Then spread with the garlic confit and wrap in the caul fat.
Heat an ovenproof pan over a medium heat and add the butter, bay, rosemary and garlic, then add the monkfish. Allow it to colour while basting in the butter. Transfer to the hot oven for 12–14 minutes or until cooked through, then remove from the oven and set aside to rest.
To make the wild mushroom and truffle broth, sauté the shallots and garlic in the oil until soft, then add the wild mushrooms and dried porcini. Sauté until the mushrooms are golden then add the Madeira. Cook until the Madeira has reduced by half and then add the stock. Bring to the boil, taste and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To serve, slice the monkfish into rounds, spoon some wild mushrooms into a serving bowl and add some of the broth. Garnish with watercress.
