Roasted Monkfish with Classic French Lentils
The monkfish, red wine and lentils in this dish work so well together, combining to create a fantastic French supper.
6-7 or 4 hungry people!
Ingredients
- 50g butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
- 200g lardons, diced
- 1 small carrot, finely chopped
- ½ fennel, finely chopped
- 1 leek, finely chopped
- 1 parsnip, chopped
- 300g Puy lentils
- 175ml red wine
- 450ml dark chicken stock
- 2 tbsp good sherry vinegar
For the roasted monkfish tail:
- 1.5kg monkfish tail, trimmed, skinned and left on the bone
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon, halved and sliced
- 8 sprigs thyme
- Small bunch of parsley
Method
Season the monkfish with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cut either side of the bone to make a pocket, fill the bone with lemon slices, thyme and parsley sprigs. Tie 4-5 pieces of string around it to create a joint and season.
Heat a roasting tray until smoking, add the butter and monkfish and cook on each side for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the hob and roast at in the oven at 200°C for 20 minutes. When cooked squeeze the lemon over the top, cover with juices and remove from the pan to rest on a warm plate for 2-3 minutes.
While the monkfish is cooking, heat a large frying pan and then add the butter. Once hot, add the onion and cook for two minutes. Then add the garlic, diced lardons, carrot, celery, leeks, parsnip and fennel and cook for a further two minutes.
Add the lentils and red wine and bring to the boil. Cook until the volume of wine has reduced by half, then add the stock and cook the lentils for 15 minutes. Mix in the sherry vinegar, parsley, a knob of butter and then season. Pouring the lentils into the used monkfish roasting tray and stir to combine with the cooking juices.
Place the lentils in a large, shallow serving bowl and add the monkfish on top to serve.
Ingredients
- 50g butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
- 200g lardons, diced
- 1 small carrot, finely chopped
- ½ fennel, finely chopped
- 1 leek, finely chopped
- 1 parsnip, chopped
- 300g Puy lentils
- 175ml red wine
- 450ml dark chicken stock
- 2 tbsp good sherry vinegar
For the roasted monkfish tail:
- 1.5kg monkfish tail, trimmed, skinned and left on the bone
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lemon, halved and sliced
- 8 sprigs thyme
- Small bunch of parsley
Method
Season the monkfish with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cut either side of the bone to make a pocket, fill the bone with lemon slices, thyme and parsley sprigs. Tie 4-5 pieces of string around it to create a joint and season.
Heat a roasting tray until smoking, add the butter and monkfish and cook on each side for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the hob and roast at in the oven at 200°C for 20 minutes. When cooked squeeze the lemon over the top, cover with juices and remove from the pan to rest on a warm plate for 2-3 minutes.
While the monkfish is cooking, heat a large frying pan and then add the butter. Once hot, add the onion and cook for two minutes. Then add the garlic, diced lardons, carrot, celery, leeks, parsnip and fennel and cook for a further two minutes.
Add the lentils and red wine and bring to the boil. Cook until the volume of wine has reduced by half, then add the stock and cook the lentils for 15 minutes. Mix in the sherry vinegar, parsley, a knob of butter and then season. Pouring the lentils into the used monkfish roasting tray and stir to combine with the cooking juices.
Place the lentils in a large, shallow serving bowl and add the monkfish on top to serve.
This recipe is from the book:
James Martin’s French Adventure
“Some thirty years since Floyd on France first screened, the chance to follow in his footsteps and, to return to the places that have shaped my own life and career was too good to resist. I hope this book will give you a small taste of what I learnt and the things I discovered on my French adventure, and that you’ll enjoy the trip as much as I did!”
- James
- James
