Roasted Monkfish With Chanterelles Leeks And Ginger Recipes

MONKFISH ROASTED WITH HERBS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Tie the monkfish fillets with butcher's twine at 2-inch intervals. Season with salt and pepper.
• Line the bottom of an earthenware or other low-sided baking dish with thyme and rosemary sprigs. Tuck bay leaves here and there, if using. Lay the fish on top of the herbs and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Scatter the lemon slices and whole olives over fish. Set aside for 30 minutes to marinate. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
• Meanwhile, make the olive paste: Put pitted black olives, garlic and 1/4 cup olive oil in a small food processor and pulse to a rough paste. (Alternatively, chop olives finely with a knife and stir together with garlic and oil.)
• Roast fish, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned on top and firm to the touch. Check with a paring knife to be sure fish is cooked through. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Snip twine with scissors and remove from fish. Cut fish into 4 portions and spoon some of the roasted lemon slices and whole olives over the top. Dab each piece with a teaspoon of olive paste, or pass olive paste separately.

ROASTED MONKFISH WITH CHANTERELLES, LEEKS, AND GINGER

Steps:

• Clarify butter:
• In a heavy saucepan melt butter over low heat. Remove pan from heat and let butter stand 3 minutes. Skim froth and strain butter through a sieve lined with a double thickness of rinsed and squeezed cheesecloth into a bowl, leaving milky solids in bottom of pan. Pour clarified butter into a jar or crock and chill, covered. Butter keeps, covered and chilled, indefinitely. When clarified, butter loses about one fourth its original volume.
• Roast monkfish:
• Preheat oven to 475°F.
• In a large bowl of water soak leeks 10 minutes, agitating occasionally to dislodge any sand and letting sand sink to bottom of bowl. Lift leeks out of water with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• Peel potatoes and trim if necessary to match diameter of leeks. Cut potatoes crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. In a saucepan of boiling water blanch potatoes 5 minutes and drain.
• Cut half of garlic clove into several slivers and finely chop remaining half. Cut half of gingerroot into several slivers and finely chop remaining half. With a paring knife make several shallow slits in monkfish and insert a sliver of garlic and gingerroot into each.
• Heat a flameproof roasting pan, 13 by 9 by 2 inches, in oven 10 minutes. In heated pan toss together leeks, potatoes, mushrooms, chopped garlic and ginger, salt and pepper to taste, and 2 tablespoons clarified butter. Roast vegetables in middle of oven 15 minutes.
• Heat a 12-inch non-stick skillet over moderately high heat. Pat fish dry and season with white pepper and salt. Add remaining tablespoon butter to skillet and brown fish about 2 minutes on each side. With a slotted spatula transfer fish to a plate. To skillet add Port and soy sauce and on top of stove deglaze over moderately high heat, scraping up any brown bits, 30 seconds. Pour liquid over roasted vegetables, tossing to coat, and arrange fish on top. Roast fish and vegetables in middle of oven 15 to 18 minutes, or until fish is just cooked through (fish will be firm rather than flaky).
• Garnish fish with chives. Cut fish crosswise into slices and serve with vegetables.