Roast Fillet of Monkfish with Rösti Potatoes, Spinach and Red Wine Sauce

This dish is loosely based on steak and chips. The meaty texture of monkfish lends itself well to this treatment. Monkfish has a huge head and a big muscular tail (this is the bit you want). The head could be used to make stock but, personally, I don't rate it much. The sauce needs a light and fruity wine and I usually use a Beaujolais.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 monkfish tails weighing about 450g (1 lb) each, skinned and boned to give four 100-140g (4-5 oz) fillets
Freshly ground sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons sunflower oil
4 portions rösti potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
200g (8 oz) spinach leaves, washed with the tough stalks and damaged pieces removed
A squeeze of lemon juice

For the sauce

300ml (½ pint) Beaujolais or other light red wine
450ml (16 fl oz) fish stock
25g (1 oz) butter, chilled and diced

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas 2

To make the sauce, pour the wine into a medium-sized, stainless steel saucepan and place it over a high heat, reducing it until it's nearly gone. Add the fish stock and reduce it by two-thirds. Add the diced cold butter and shake the pan over the heat until all the butter has melted and the sauce is dark and glossy. Keep it warm.

Next, heat a frying pan until it's hot. Season the monkfish fillets all over with a little salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the sunflower oil to the hot pan and lightly fry the fish fillets for about 2 minutes on each of their three sides, depending on their thickness, until lightly browned. Lift the pan to a warm placeand leave the fish to relax for 5 minutes.

Place the rösti potatoes on a tray and put in the oven to heat them through for 4-5 minutes.

Heat a large pan until it's hot, add the tablespoon of olive oil, then dump in the spinach and stir-fry it until it's wilted (this will take about 2 minutes). Season with pepper and the lemon juice.

To serve, have four warm plates ready and divide the spinach between them. Place a portion of rösti potatoes on top of each pile. Remove the monkfish fillets from the pan, pouring any juices into the sauce. Carve each fillet into three pieces and place atop the potatoes. Spoon the sauce around and serve.

© Nick Nairn

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