Monkfish with haricot bean, pea and guanciale stew
Preheating your frying pan is the most crucial step in pan-frying a piece of fish.
SERVES
4
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
40
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
5
MINUTES
Ingredients
400g monkfish tails skinned
2 tbsp golden rapeseed oil
Fine sea salt
For the haricot bean stew
30g guanciale thinly sliced into lardons
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 x 400g tins haricot beans
100g asparagus, sliced into 2cm chunks
100g frozen peas
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp flat leaf parsley chopped
2 sprigs of mint picked
Sea salt flakes
Freshly cracked black pepper
Method
To make the haricot stew, place a large heavy-based pot on a medium-low heat.
Add the guanciale lardons and cook until crisp and the fat has rendered.
Remove the cooked guanciale from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the diced onion and sliced garlic to the rendered pork fat.
Season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper and cook until softened without colour.
Add the haricot beans to the pot and warm, still on a medium heat.
Add the sliced asparagus and cook for one minute, add the frozen peas, the juice of one lemon, chopped parsley and taste to adjust the seasoning.
Keep warm while cooking the monkfish.
Remove the monkfish from the fridge 15 minutes before you intend on cooking.
Pat dry to remove any excess moisture.
Preheat a large heavy-based frying pan on high heat.
Sprinkle the monkfish with fine sea salt.
Add the rapeseed oil and allow to warm before introducing the monkfish tails to the pan. Do so, laying the monkfish away from you to avoid oil splatters.
Cook on one side until golden brown and the fish is 60%of the way cooked this will take 2- 3 minutes.
Turn the monkfish tails over and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.
Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 2 minutes before carving with a serrated knife.
To serve, place the carved chunks of monkfish on top of the haricot bean stew in warm bowls, sprinkle over the crispy guanciale and garnish with mint leaves.
