Monkfish is a somewhat underestimated fish. It is just the tail that gets used, and does take a bit of cleaning. The result is spectacular though. Once called “the poor mans lobster”, and you can see why. It’s texture, when cooked properly, is really similar to the shellfish. I like to cut the tail into “medallions” (just a poncey name for thick slices), dip these in flour, then cook them in a little butter and olive oil.

 So what to pair this fish with.. Hmm….. Brussels! that great vegetable that every kid seems to hate, but I absolutely loved when I was a wee nipper. I think the problem came around from school dinners to be honest. You would get served up these soggy horrible little spheres of green mush. Shame, because in my mind those aren’t Brussel sprouts. When cooked properly they are fantastic. I like to cut them in half, boil them, then quickly pan sear just to brown them a little. I mixed these with a little slow cooked leek. To add a bit of crunch, I just ripped up some roasted prosciutto.

At Whole Foods I found brussel sprouts still on their stem. I don’t believe that I have ever seen them that way, so I had to buy em! The price was good, the novelty was better!

A sauce? Just a little white wine is used to deglaze the monkfish pan, once the medallions have been removed. A teaspoon of butter is mixed in with this, and just poured over the fish.

Monkfish Medallions, Ragu of Brussels, leeks and prosciutto

1 Monkfish tail – about 1lb.

20 Brussel sprouts

3 small leeks

2 slices of Prosciutto

Flour

White wine

Butter

The first job is the clean the monkfish tail. Using a small knife carefully trim away any of the black membrane that might still be on the tail. Be careful here, it can be all too easy to cut away so much flesh that you end up with not much of a dinner! Once clean, rince in water and pat dry. Cut the tail crossways into 2″ slices. Put the flour on a plate, and dip the flat sides of the medallions in the flour. Using a small pairing knife remove the tough outer leaves from each brussel sprout. Cut any stem off the bottom of each one. Slice all brussels in half. Remove the outer skins from the leeks, and wash well. Slice into 1/4″ slices, discarding the dark green tops.

Get a medium pan of water boiling. Once boiling throw in the brussels. These will cook for about 5 minutes, or until just tender. In a large bowl throw in some ice cubes, and fill with cold water. This is an ice bath. We are going to put the cooked brussels in here to stop them from cooking, and to make sure they keep their bright green colour. When the brussels are cooked, strain from the boiling water, and put into the ice bath. Keep them in there for at least 5 minutes, until completely cold.

Put the prosciutto in a roasting pan, and roast in a hot (400F) oven until crispy. Tear into pieces. In a non-stick pan over a medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil, and a teaspoon of butter. Once heated, add the medallions of monkfish, and cook on each side for 3 minutes per side.

In another pan, over a medium heat saute the leeks in a little olive oil under tender. Add the brussels, and turn up the heat a bit to just brown the leeks and brussels. Remove from the heat, and toss in the prosciutto.

Remove the monkfish from the pan, and cover with foil. Turn up the heat under the pan, and pour in half a glass of white wine. Cook until reduced by half. Whisk in a teaspoon of butter into this. Put the veg on a plate, and top with the monkfish. Pour the sauce over.