Roast monkfish fillet with red wine sauce recipe

By Debbie Major

Serves 6
Ready in 45 minutes
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Monkfish is expensive so if you're thinking of pushing the boat out, use it to best effect with this simple recipe for roast monkfish with red wine sauce.

Roast monkfish fillet with red wine sauce

Ingredients

3 x 350g thick monkfish fillets
2 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of cayenne pepper

For the red wine sauce

50g unsalted butter, plus 1 tsp
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 large celery stick, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
Pinch ech of ground cloves, paprika and curry powder
750ml bottle red wine
1 litre good-quality chicken stock, hot
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp plain flour

Method

1. Make the red wine reduction for the sauce. Melt 50g of the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the carrot, celery, onion and spices, and fry over a medium-high heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are well browned. Add the red wine, chicken stock, sugar and a good pinch of salt, bring to the boil and boil rapidly until reduced by about three-quarters, to about 225ml. Strain into a clean pan, pressing out as much liquid as you can from the vegetables, cover and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Rub the monkfish with a little of the olive oil, then season all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan, add the fish and cook for 2-3 minutes each side, until nicely browned. Sprinkle with a little cayenne pepper, transfer to a lightly-oiled roasting tin and roast for 10-12 minutes, until just cooked through. Remove, cover with foil and leave to rest for 3-4 minutes while you finish the sauce.
3. Bring the red wine reduction back to the boil. Blend the remaining teaspoon of butter with the flour to make a paste (beurre manié). Whisk into the sauce, a little at a time, until the sauce has taken on a good consistency – you might not need to add it all. Simmer for 2 minutes. Adjust the seasoning and keep hot.
4. Carve each fish slightly on the diagonal into 8 slices and overlap 4 of the slices onto each plate. Spoon some sauce around the plate and serve with the Rosemary and garlic roast potatoes and steamed spinach.