Description
A sumptious fish dish that makes the most of seasonal veg, with a hint of the Caribbean. Dauphinoise or mashed potato make an excellent accompaniment.
Ingredients
- 1 large monkfish tail (approx. 650g), cut into 4 pieces
- A selection of British seasonal veg: ½ Romano pepper, 2 radishes, ½ aubergine, 1 small courgette, 250g broad beans
- 4 large Savoy cabbage leaves
- Half an onion
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 dried pimentos, crushed
- 1 teaspoon medium heat curry powder
- 1 stalk lemongrass (tender part only), finely chopped
- 100 ml coconut milk
- 20 g grated ginger
- Juice of 1 lime
- ¼ Scotch bonnet pepper (de-seeded)
- Black pepper
- 1 pinch sea salt
- Sprig of coriander, chopped
- Sprig of fresh thyme, chopped
- Olive oil
- Knob of salted butter
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare all the vegetables: chop the pepper, aubergine, courgette and radishes into medium, bite-sized chunks.
Step 2: Blanch the cabbage leaves in a large pot of salted boiling water. Watch the leaves soften but be careful not to overcook. They should retain their rich and vivid green colour. Remove from pan, rinse with cold water and set aside to drain.
Step 3: Sauté and soften finely chopped onion in olive oil and butter, mix over a medium heat. Add a whole bay leaf and then place all the crushed garlic cloves with crushed pimento into the pan to sauté. Add the lemongrass for a quick sauté.
Step 4: Add all the chopped vegetables to the pan to gently sauté, plus add the Scotch bonnet, salt, ginger, curry powder and chopped thyme.
Step 5: Place the monkfish quarters in the pan, with no lid, and sear on both sides on moderate heat.
Step 6: Add a tablespoon of water with the lime juice to the pan and cover with a lid. Steam on a moderate heat for a further minute until vegetables soften to al dente.
Step 7: Add the coconut milk and chopped coriander and stir the liquid through the pan and cover the fish with the liquid. Simmer on a low heat for 3 – 4 minutes. Do not allow the fish to cook completely in the pan. Remove the fish from the pan. Remove the bay leaf.
Step 8: Pre-heat your oven to 200 C / Fan 180 / Gas mark 6
Step 9: Place your first cabbage leaf on a plate. Place a small layer of vegetables and sauce in the middle of the cabbage leaf. Place the fish quarter in the middle of the cabbage leaf on top of the vegetables. Wrap the cabbage leaf with the thickest part of the cabbage over the fish first and wrap all the cabbage around the fish into a parcel shape, tucking away all edges. Repeat for the remaining parcels.
Step 10: Place your parcels on a slightly greased baking dish and bake for a further 5 min at 200 C / Fan 180 / Gas mark 6. Use a thermometer and insert into the centre of each parcel to return a temperature of 145º F / 63º C.
Notes
Ask your fishmonger to take skin and membrane off the fish for you.