Glorious Monkfish!
I have discovered monkfish over the past couple of years and I can honestly say it is now my favourite fish. I love how firm it is, and it makes great kebabs and is fantastic in a curry.
I usually buy my fish from Wright Brothers (which is where this was from) or The Cornish Fishmonger.
The plan was to make a curry, but I really fancied something different. I had some Pancetta that needed using in the fridge, so I came up with this recipe.
Preparation and Cook
The fantastic thing with this recipe is that is so quick and easy to prepare and is perfect for a midweek dinner.
Monkfish have a thin membrane covering the skin. It’s not too difficult to remove, but if you can get your fishmonger to take it off. Do make sure you remove it otherwise the fish will be a bit chewy.
Take your Pancetta (I used Tesco Finest) and lay them on a chopping board, slightly overlapping. Add the first filleted tail and then lie the 2nd one on top, before tightly wrapping in the Pancetta. If you have time, you could prepare this in advance and then tightly wrap in foil and place in the fridge for a few hours.
I cooked this one on the Aldi Kamado, with the deflector place in place which only took 20 minutes turning once halfway through. If you are cooking on a kettle just set up with 2 zones and cook on the indirect side of the BBQ for around 20 minutes. I always cook to temperature and took this to 65°C internal.
We also made a batch of Pesto, using the BBC recipe, which we had frozen which went with this perfectly.
The Verdict
This cook was a little bit of an unexpected one but really blew me away. It really did exceed my expectations. The Monkfish and Pancetta went perfectly, and the Pesto worked better than I could have imagined. The Rocket and Parmesan went well not to forget the lovely British Asparagus on the side.
This one was a YES! YES! YES!!!!
Pancetta Wrapped Monkfish with Pesto, Rocket and Asparagus
Ingredients
- 2 Monkfish Tails (filleted)
- 110 g Smoked Pancetta
- 2 tbsp Pesto
- Handful Rocket
- 30 g Parmesan Shavings
- 150 g Asparagus
Instructions
- Light your BBQ and aim for a temperature between 180°C and 200°C. Set it up with 2 zones if using a kettle. I was using a Kamado with the deflector plate in place.
- Place the Pancetta on a chopping board, slightly overlapping. Remove the membrane from the Monkfish then place a fillet on the Pancetta. Add the 2nd fillet on-top (top-to-tail) then wrap tightly in the Pancetta. If you have time wrap tightly in clingfilm and place in the fridge for a few hours.
- When your BBQ is at the desired heat, place your Monkfish on the BBQ. If using a kettle, place it on the indirect side of the BBQ. Aim for an internal temperature of 65°C, which should take 20-25 minutes then remove.
- Place to one side then start plating up. Add a handful of Rocket to the plate. Slice your Monkfish into 2 cm slices and then place onto the Rocket.
- Spoon over the Pesto and add the Asparagus, then sprinkle over the Parmesan. Enjoy!!!
