Cooking monkfish on the bone ensures it stays moist and retains all of its delicious flavour, though it's essential not to burn the butter otherwise you'll introduce a bitter taste which won't please the palate. The broccoli puree is simple and only requires quick cooking to guarantee a bright colour.
Roasted monkfish tail, sage and garlic butter and broccoli puree
Serves 4
1 broccoli
1 litre vegetable stock
250g butter
50g olive oil
1 x 700g monkfish tail, skin removed
20g plain flour
4 cloves garlic
1 lemon
20g sage
Start by making the puree. Trim the stalks off the broccoli, keeping only the florets.
Bring the stock to the boil in a large saucepan, season it well with salt then add the broccoli. Cover the pan with a lid and boil the broccoli rapidly for four minutes until tender. Remove the broccoli from the stock and place it in a liquidiser with 50g butter, blending until smooth. If needed add a small amount of the stock to adjust the texture. Once pureed, check the seasoning and place the broccoli in a bowl over a bowl of iced water to cool the puree and maintain the vivid colour.
Now cook the monkfish. Heat a large, heavy-based pan over a medium heat and add the oil. Season the monkfish well and dust it lightly with the flour. Place the monkfish in the pan and cook it gently. As the fish starts to colour, add the remaining butter 50g at a time, allowing it to foam before adding more. After adding the first 50g butter also add the garlic, basting the monkfish with the foaming butter and maintaining an even heat. Baste and turn the fish in the foaming butter for around eight minutes. To check if the fish is cooked place a skewer through the flesh – if it passes through without resistance then the fish is cooked. Once done, remove the fish from the pan on to a warm plate to rest for five minutes.
While the fish is resting heat the broccoli puree and finish the butter by adding the sage to the pan and frying for one minute, before squeezing in the juice of the lemon.
Serve the fish at the table or carve the monkfish from the bone into four even pieces. Plate the fish with the broccoli puree and spoon the sage butter over the top.
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