Monkfish Baked in Parma Ham, Confit Lemon, White Beans & Chorizo
Serves 4
4 pieces monkfish fillet, 160g each
8 wafers of Parma ham
100g haricot blanc, soaked for 24 hours in cold water & then cooked until soft (or a tin of)
Zest of cannellini beans, rinsed
2 large organic lemons
Tbsp castor sugar
100g chorizo, 1cm dice
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch watercress
Olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon
Malden salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Wrap the monkfish in the Parma ham. Put a small pan on the hob, in with 100ml water, bring to simmer, add the sugar & allow it to dissolve. Blanche the lemon zest in the sugar water then immediately strain through a sieve. Pat the lemon zest dry on kitchen paper.
Place a large ovenproof non-stick frying pan on a moderate hob, add a fine film of olive oil & when the oil is hot, seal the monkfish on all sides, then into the preheated oven for 7-10 minutes.
Place another non-stick frying pan on a moderate hob, put in the chorizo & gently warm the chorizo so that the paprika oil slowly renders out. Add the garlic, stirring around the pan for a minute.
Warm the beans in the pan, letting them soak up the chorizo & garlic flavours. Reserve these ingredients & keep them warm.
When the monkfish is cooked, remove it from the oven & let it rest on a warm plate for 5-7 minutes.
Fold the lemon zest & watercress through the pan of warm chorizo & beans, season & dress with lemon juice.
Divide the warm lemon, chorizo & bean salad between 4 warmed dinner plates. Carve each monkfish fillet into 3 or 4 pieces & present over the warm salad.