Roasted Spiced Monkfish, Leeks & Mussels
Atul Kochhar's roasted spiced monkfish served over creamy leeks and mussels, finished with fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon. Elegant, seasonal, and packed with bold, warming flavour.
Ingredients
- 4 X 150 gm monkfish tail, skinned, trimmed & boneless
- 2 Tbsp Curry Powder
- Salt to taste
- 3 tbsp avocado or olive oil to fry the fish
- 100 gm salted butter, melted
- ½ lemon
Mussels
- 1kg fresh mussels, cleaned & debearded
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped ginger
- ½ green chilli chopped
- 200ml dry white wine
Leeks
- 2 large leeks, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp nigella seeds
- ½ tsp sesame seeds (Mixed black & white)
- 100ml fish stock
- 150ml coconut cream
- 50 ml double cream
- ½ lemon for juice
Garnish
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
- Handful of red vein sorrel leaves
- Red Shisho or red amaranth leaves
Atul’s Curry Powder
- 10 green cardamom pods
- 5cm cinnamon stick
- 10 cloves
- 4 dried red chillies
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 ½ tsp dried mango powder
- 1 ½ tsp turmeric powder
Method
Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan).
Season the monkfish with salt and let it sit on a tray to lose some water. Pat it dry with a kitchen paper towel. Mix the oil and curry powder in a bowl and brush it all over the monkfish. Keep the marinated fish in the fridge for an hour. Roast it in the oven for 6-7 minutes, depending on its thickness. Remove and baste the fish with melted butter and cook for a further minute or two. Squeeze the lemon juice on the fish, just before serving.
Mussels
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then add the shallots, chilli, and ginger and cook until soft. Add the white wine and bring to a boil. Add the cleaned mussels, cover with the lid, and steam for 2-3 minutes until the shells open. Strain the mussels through a colander, reserving the liquid. Keep 8 mussels in their open shell for garnish and remove the remaining from their shells. Discard any that did not open.
Leeks
Add oil in a saucepan and add cumin, nigella and sesame seeds. Sauté until spices turn light brown in colour or start crackling. Add butter and leeks to cook until soft. Add mussel cooking liquid and fish stock. Reduce by half and then add coconut cream and double cream. Bring to a simmer, add the mussels without shells and some chopped chives. Season with salt & lemon juice.
To Serve
Divide the creamy leek & mussel mixture among the warm bowls. Slice the monkfish and place it on top of the sauce. Place two mussels with shells in each bowl. Garnish with chopped chives, sorrel leaves and shisho or amaranth leaves. Serve.
Atul’s Curry Powder
This spice powder is lighter than the ones you buy, which can be heavy on turmeric and chillies. I wanted a blend that let the taste of green cardamoms & fennel come through. The Kashmiri red chilli powder gives a rich redness without searing heat, and the dried mango powder lends a citrus tang. Makes 5 Tbsp
Toast the whole spices individually in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until aromatic. Immediately tip them out of a pan into a spice grinder or mini food processor. Add the ground spices and blitz to a fine powder. Sift through a sieve. Store in an airtight container in a dark cupboard for up to 3 weeks.
Ingredients
- 4 X 150 gm monkfish tail, skinned, trimmed & boneless
- 2 Tbsp Curry Powder
- Salt to taste
- 3 tbsp avocado or olive oil to fry the fish
- 100 gm salted butter, melted
- ½ lemon
Mussels
- 1kg fresh mussels, cleaned & debearded
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped ginger
- ½ green chilli chopped
- 200ml dry white wine
Leeks
- 2 large leeks, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp nigella seeds
- ½ tsp sesame seeds (Mixed black & white)
- 100ml fish stock
- 150ml coconut cream
- 50 ml double cream
- ½ lemon for juice
Garnish
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
- Handful of red vein sorrel leaves
- Red Shisho or red amaranth leaves
Atul’s Curry Powder
- 10 green cardamom pods
- 5cm cinnamon stick
- 10 cloves
- 4 dried red chillies
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 ½ tsp dried mango powder
- 1 ½ tsp turmeric powder
Method
Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan).
Season the monkfish with salt and let it sit on a tray to lose some water. Pat it dry with a kitchen paper towel. Mix the oil and curry powder in a bowl and brush it all over the monkfish. Keep the marinated fish in the fridge for an hour. Roast it in the oven for 6-7 minutes, depending on its thickness. Remove and baste the fish with melted butter and cook for a further minute or two. Squeeze the lemon juice on the fish, just before serving.
Mussels
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then add the shallots, chilli, and ginger and cook until soft. Add the white wine and bring to a boil. Add the cleaned mussels, cover with the lid, and steam for 2-3 minutes until the shells open. Strain the mussels through a colander, reserving the liquid. Keep 8 mussels in their open shell for garnish and remove the remaining from their shells. Discard any that did not open.
Leeks
Add oil in a saucepan and add cumin, nigella and sesame seeds. Sauté until spices turn light brown in colour or start crackling. Add butter and leeks to cook until soft. Add mussel cooking liquid and fish stock. Reduce by half and then add coconut cream and double cream. Bring to a simmer, add the mussels without shells and some chopped chives. Season with salt & lemon juice.
To Serve
Divide the creamy leek & mussel mixture among the warm bowls. Slice the monkfish and place it on top of the sauce. Place two mussels with shells in each bowl. Garnish with chopped chives, sorrel leaves and shisho or amaranth leaves. Serve.
Atul’s Curry Powder
This spice powder is lighter than the ones you buy, which can be heavy on turmeric and chillies. I wanted a blend that let the taste of green cardamoms & fennel come through. The Kashmiri red chilli powder gives a rich redness without searing heat, and the dried mango powder lends a citrus tang. Makes 5 Tbsp
Toast the whole spices individually in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until aromatic. Immediately tip them out of a pan into a spice grinder or mini food processor. Add the ground spices and blitz to a fine powder. Sift through a sieve. Store in an airtight container in a dark cupboard for up to 3 weeks.
