This festive fish recipe has all the tasty flavours of Christmas on a good looking plate. A great alternative for those who don’t like turkey. If you are looking for a way to give your fish dishes a seasonal twist adding sprouts, chestnuts and cranberries will hit the spot.
Festive Fish Recipe Ingredients
For the monkfish:
400g boneless, skinless monkfish tail from Walter Purkis & Sons
6-8 rashers of smoky bacon – remove the rind
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
For the sweet potato mash:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces
1 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg
For the sprouts:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 garlic clove finely chopped or crushed
1 tbsp sage, finely chopped
30g cooked and peeled chestnuts, roughly chopped
200g brussels sprouts, shredded
15g dried cranberries
Salt and pepper
For the orange butter sauce:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp orange juice
Salt and pepper
Cooking Method For Festive Fish Recipe
Wrap the monkfish in the bacon. Leave to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. (Using some cling film will keep it all in place.)
While the fish is chilling, prepare the mash. Place the sweet potato pieces in a pan of salted water and bring to the boil. Cook until tender, drain and allow to steam dry for a few minutes. Add a generous knob of butter and mash until it’s a smooth consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and a pinch of ground nutmeg. Keep warm and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/fan 160ºC/gas mark 4.
When ready to cook the fish, heat the butter and olive oil in a non-stick ovenproof frying pan. Add the monkfish and sear on both sides. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and roast for 6-8 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and the bacon is crispy.
While the fish is cooking, prepare the sprouts. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the garlic and sage. Fry for a minute or so until fragrant. Add the chestnuts and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the shredded sprouts to the pan with the butter and fry for a couple of minutes until the sprouts are tender and a little charred in places. Add the cranberries and stir well. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove the fish from the oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for a few minutes. If you wish to make an orange butter sauce, simply melt a tablespoon of butter in a small pan and add a tablespoon of freshly squeezed orange juice and salt and pepper.
Cut your monkfish into slices and serve on top of the mash with the sprouts and butter sauce on the side. Eat right away.
Cooking Tip
Mash can be made up to two days in advance, stored in the fridge, and reheated on the day in the oven.
You can find more monkfish recipes here >>
Monkfish recipe and image credits are from Seafish. More recipes on the Love Seafood website
