A Recipe by Andrew Baird

"For those of you who like a bit more of a challenge, this is a great recipe to try", says Andrew Baird, Executive Head Chef of Longueville Manor. Get stuck into this recipe for monkfish wrapped in parma ham with local cockles and a saffron sauce...

Preparation time | 40 minutes

Cooking time | 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 medium monkfish tails (taken off the bone and skinned)
• 8 slices of Parma ham
• 8 baby fennel bulbs 
• 8 baby carrots
• 8 cockles
• 200ml dry white wine
• 1 shallot, peeled and sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 5g saffron
• 200ml double Jersey cream
• 10g purple cress
• 10ml olive oil
• 20g Jersey butter
• 200g butternut squash purée
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Pre heat the oven to 180ºC.

Lay the Parma ham, slightly overlapping, on a plate. Place the monkfish fillet on top and roll up. Tie in place with string – a slip knot is best.

Brush with a little olive oil and bake in the oven for approximately 10 minutes. Once cooked, leave to rest and keep warm.

Peel and top the carrots and fennel. Cook in a little boiling water with salt and a knob of butter until just tender. Heat up a saucepan and put in the cockles, white wine, shallot and garlic. Cover with a lid.

When the cockles have opened remove from the liquid and keep covered

Add the cream and saffron to the cockle liquid. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes. Season to taste and pass the liquid through a fine sieve into a clean pan.

To serve

Spoon a heaped tablespoon of the butternut squash purée at one side of a plate. With the base of a spoon, drag the purée across to the other side. Slice each monkfish fillet into 6 and place 3 pieces on each plate. Place a cockle in between each slice and add the carrots and baby fennel. Finish with the saffron sauce and garnish with purple cress. 

Chef's tip

Pancetta could be substituted for the Parma ham and mussels used instead of cockles.

Chef Emeritus