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Fragrant roast monkfish with green curry beurre blanc and crispy noodles

Name: Fragrant roast monkfish with green curry beurre blanc and crispy noodles
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: PT20-25M
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: Serves 4-6
Ingredients: 4 lime leaves; 2 lemongrass stalks; 5cm piece ginger; 1 red chilli; 200g rock salt; Finely grated zest 2 limes; 1.3kg bone-in monkfish tail, any tough sinew trimmed (ask your fishmonger to do this); Vegetable oil to deep-fry; 50g dry vermicelli rice noodles; For the monkfish; Dash vegetable oil; 50g unsalted butter; 2 lemongrass stalks, bashed; 4 lime leaves, torn; 3 slices ginger, bashed; 2 green bird’s eye chillies, pierced all over with a fork; 4 spring onions, green parts only; For the beurre blanc; 1 tbsp coconut oil; 60g Thai green curry paste; 60ml dry white wine; 1 shallot, finely chopped; 5 whole white peppercorns; 60ml lime juice; 100ml coconut cream; 1 tsp fish sauce; 1 tsp caster sugar; 225g unsalted butter, chilled and chopped; To garnish; 50g cashew nuts, toasted and roughly chopped

By: Chef and restaurateur, Ravinder Bhogal

Published: 11 Dec 24
Updated: 31 Dec 24

Fragrant roast monkfish with green curry beurre blanc and crispy noodles

Ravinder Bhogal’s roast monkfish, served with a silky green-curry beurre blanc and topped with crispy noodles, is a dinner party or New Year’s Eve main with real wow factor. Serve with pineapple and green bean rice.

Ravinder says: “I’ve used monkfish here because I love its dense and meaty texture, but lobster or giant prawns would also be great. Cook the fish with the bone in as it helps to keep the fish moist. Present the whole tail, to be carved at the table for a sense of occasion.” Browse Ravinder’s full celebratory menu, including passion fruit and coconut crème brûlée.

Ravinder Bhogal is the chef/owner of Jikoni in London’s Marylebone. It serves food inspired by Ravinder’s background (born in Kenya to Indian parents) and celebrates the cookery of the UK’s diverse immigrant cultures. She’s written three successful cookery books, writes for various publications and is a regular on TV cookery shows. Follow Ravinder on Instagram @cookinboots

Easy
December 2024

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4-6
Hands-on time 1 hour. Oven time 20-25 min

Gluten-free

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 599kcals
Fat: 50g (30g saturated)
Protein: 26g
Carbohydrates: 7.8g (2.5g sugars)
Fibre: 1.2g
Salt: 0.8g

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Before you start

Make ahead The crispy noodles are a garnish rather than the meal’s main carb element (that’s Ravinder’s pineapple and green bean rice). Fry the noodles up to a day ahead and keep in an airtight container.

Before you start

Ingredients

4 lime leaves
2 lemongrass stalks
5cm piece ginger
1 red chilli
200g rock salt
Finely grated zest 2 limes
1.3kg bone-in monkfish tail, any tough sinew trimmed (ask your fishmonger to do this)
Vegetable oil to deep-fry
50g dry vermicelli rice noodles

For the monkfish

Dash vegetable oil
50g unsalted butter
2 lemongrass stalks, bashed
4 lime leaves, torn
3 slices ginger, bashed
2 green bird’s eye chillies, pierced all over with a fork
4 spring onions, green parts only

For the beurre blanc

1 tbsp coconut oil
60g Thai green curry paste
60ml dry white wine
1 shallot, finely chopped
5 whole white peppercorns
60ml lime juice
100ml coconut cream
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp caster sugar
225g unsalted butter, chilled and chopped

To garnish

50g cashew nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
4 spring onions, finely sliced
20g bunch Thai basil, torn
15g coriander, roughly chopped
Finely grated zest and juice 1 lime
50g jar salmon or trout roe (optional)

Specialist kit

Kitchen thermometer

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Method

Put the lime leaves, lemongrass, ginger and red chilli in a food processor and whizz to a coarse paste. Scrape into a small bowl and mix in the rock salt and lime zest, then cover the monkfish tail with it on all sides. Set aside on a plate for 10 minutes at room temperature to lightly cure.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5. Fill a small saucepan no more than two-thirds full with vegetable oil. Heat to 180°C then, working in batches, add the rice noodles. In just a few seconds they’ll puff up and turn crisp. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Set aside.
Wash the salt off the monkfish and pat dry. Add a splash of oil to a large frying pan over a high heat. Once smoking hot, carefully add the monkfish tail. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip the tail over and add the rest of the ingredients for the monkfish. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, basting the fish regularly with the flavoured butter.

Transfer the monkfish to a roasting tin, pour over the juices and aromatics from the pan and roast for 20-25 minutes.
While the fish roasts, make the beurre blanc. Heat the coconut oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the curry paste and fry for 8 minutes until it deepens in colour and becomes fragrant. Add the wine, shallot, peppercorns and lime juice, bring back to a simmer and continue to cook until reduced by half (about 5 minutes). Stir in the coconut cream, then strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a clean pan.
Bring the strained sauce back to a simmer over a low heat, add the fish sauce and sugar, then start adding the butter, a little at a time, whisking continuously until incorporated. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Lay the monkfish on a serving platter and add a nest of the crispy noodles alongside. Sprinkle over the remaining garnishes, then serve with the warm beurre blanc.