Monkfish with prosciutto, artichokes, capers, parsley and Charlotte potatoes

Preparation time

less than 30 mins

Cooking time

30 mins to 1 hour

Serves

Serves 2


By Theo Randall
From Saturday Kitchen Best Bites

Ingredients

  • 4 Roman (large globe) artichokes
  • 95ml/3½fl oz olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 3 tsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
  • 125ml/4½fl oz white wine
  • 2 x 175g/6oz monkfish fillets, trimmed
  • 300g/11oz Charlotte potatoes, boiled until tender, drained, sliced
  • 1 tbsp small capers, drained and rinsed
  • 90g/3½oz prosciutto slices
  • ½ lemon, juice only

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.

  2. Trim the outer leaves from the artichokes, cut the tops off, then scoop out the hairy 'choke' with a teaspoon.

  3. Using a potato peeler, peel away the stem until the tender centre is exposed.

  4. Place the peeled artichokes, heads facing downwards, into a pan. Add 75ml/2¾fl oz of the olive oil, half of the chopped garlic, one teaspoon of the chopped parsley and all of the white wine. Cover the pan with a lid.

  5. Heat the mixture over a medium heat, then cook the artichokes for 20-25 minutes, or until a sharp knife can be easily inserted into their centres.

  6. When the artichokes are cooked, remove them from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. When they have completely cooled, slice them lengthways into thin slices.

  7. Meanwhile, heat one teaspoon of the remaining oil in a large, heavy-based, ovenproof frying pan over a medium to high heat. When the oil is hot, add the monkfish fillets and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until crisp and pale golden-brown on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

  8. Add the sliced, cooked potatoes to the pan the monkfish was cooked in. Fry on one side for 1-2 minutes over a medium heat, then turn over.

  9. Return the monkfish fillets to the pan and lay them on top of the sliced potatoes. Add the sliced, cooked artichokes, capers, remaining chopped parsley and chopped garlic, arranging them in and around the monkfish fillets, on top of the potatoes. Cover the ingredients with the prosciutto slices.

  10. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 6-10 minutes, or until the prosciutto slices are crisp and the monkfish fillets are cooked through (the monkfish fillets are cooked through when the flesh is opaque).

  11. Remove the pan from the oven and squeeze the lemon juice into the pan and drizzle over the remaining 15ml/½fl oz of olive oil.

  12. To serve, divide the sliced potatoes and artichokes equally between two serving plates. Place one monkfish fillet on top of each serving. Top with the crisp prosciutto slices.