Ingredients
sea salt
2 lemons , zest of, plus a little juice
1 sprig fresh rosemary , leaves picked
4 x 200 g monkish fillets , from sustainable sources, ask your fishmonger
olive oil
2 bunches rocket , washed and drained
For the black olive sauce
2 large handfuls black olives , stoned and very roughly chopped
½ fresh red chilli , deseeded and finely chopped
1 small handful fresh herbs (basil, marjoram and parsley) , finely chopped
1 heart celery , yellow leaves chopped
1 clove garlic , peeled and finely chopped
1 lemon , juice of
freshly ground black pepper
2 lugs extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
For the lemon mash
1 kg floury potatoes
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
milk
1 lemon , juice of
Preheat
your oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7 just before the fish comes out of the fridge.
Pat the fish dry with some kitchen paper and then pat it with a little olive
oil.
· Peel and
halve your potatoes. Put them into a pot of salted, boiling water and cook
until tender. Then drain and mash up with 6 tablespoons of olive oil and a good
swig of milk. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. If you want to
get your mash really smooth and creamy you can use a spatula to push the potato
through a sieve once or twice. It doesn’t make it taste any better but it will
make it silky smooth, shiny and lovely. Just depends if you can be bothered,
really. If it needs thinning with a little extra milk, feel free.
· To roast
the monkfish, heat a large ovenproof frying pan, add a splash of olive oil and
fry the fillets in the pan for 2 minutes. Then turn them over and put the pan
in your preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the
fillets.
· To grill,
place the the butterflied fillets on a hot griddle pan and cook for about 3
minutes on each side, depending on the thickness. Whichever way you cook it
serve the fish and the juices with a good dollop of the mashed potato, the
black olive sauce and a little rocket dressed with the extra virgin olive oil,
lemon juice and salt and pepper. Really, really good.
Pick sprig of rosemary, wash and pick leaves
Zest lemon
smash up
2 teaspoons of salt with the lemon zest and rosemary and rub this all over the
fish fillets. Put the fillets in a dish in the fridge and let them sit there
for an hour.
Juice lemon
Get olive oil
Get ev oo
Get balsamic vinegar
Get bag of rocket
Drain olives
Veg prep
Finely chop half red chilli
Wash basil and parsley, chop finely
Mince 1 clove garlic
Chop celery heart
Peel potatoes
Make olive sauce:
Food processor:
2 handfuls/jar of olives, chilli, herbs, garlic, celery heart, lemon
juice, 2 lugs of evoo, black pepper
Balance with balsamic vinegar