A deliciously delicate marriage of monkfish, mushrooms, cream and brandy from The Irish CookBook by chef and author Jp McMahon, culinary director of the EatGalway Restaurant Group (which comprises of Michelin-starred Aniar Restaurant) and founder of the Galway Food Festival.
Ingredients for 4:
- 4 x 150g monkfish fillets
- 1 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil, plus extra if needed
- 50g/4 tbsps cold butter (diced)
- A few sprigs of thyme
- 250g mushrooms, quartered if large
- 2 tbsps brandy
- 200ml double (heavy) cream
- 1 tbsp finely chopped chives Sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat. Season the fish with salt, and when the oil is hot, fry the fish on one side for about 2 minutes until the fish is starting to turn opaque. Add the butter and thyme, reduce the heat so the foaming butter doesn’t burn and baste the fish for 2 minutes.
2. Place the fish in a small roasting pan and pour the butter over the fillets. Transfer to the preheated oven and cook for 3–5 minutes, depending on your liking. Remove from the oven and keep warm.
3. In the meantime, add the mushrooms to the pan and fry over a medium heat until nicely coloured. You may need a little more oil. Deglaze the frying pan with the brandy and heat for a few minutes to burn off the alcohol. Add the cream and reduce for 15–20 minutes until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. At the last minute, add the chives and season the sauce with sea salt. Serve the roasted monkfish with the mushroom and brandy sauce.
4. Enjoy!
