Monkfish with Watercress Puree and Salad of Endive, Apple, and Red Onion
This monkfish dish, from Charlie Trotter, is very characteristic of the New American cuisine. Although the dish is very light, many complex flavors are at work, and there is a great freshness and brightness to it.
It’s a colorful dish, and has a lot of texture contrasts – smooth puree, crisp fish, and soft, sweated vegetables. Watercress appears in two forms – the puree spread across the plate, and wilted in the salad.
The salad of bitter endive and watercress is balanced nicely by sweet, julienned apple, and zesty red onion.
A delicious, unique dish that highlights a great, inexpensive fish – the poor man’s lobster.
Heat & Knives
The Recipe
Source: Workin’ More Kitchen Sessions With Charlie Trotter
For the Watercress Puree:
2 cups loosely packed watercress leaves
1/2 cup firmly packed spinach leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup water
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Monkfish:
2 teaspoons grapeseed oil
1 1/2 pounds bone-in monkfish
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon butter
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 head Belgian endive, julienned
1 red apple, julienned
1/2 cup julienned red onion
2 tablespoons extra virgin
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
2 cups loosely packed watercress, thick stems discarded
salt and freshly ground pepper
For the Garnish:
2 tablespoons micro herbs (or chopped fresh herbs)
freshly ground black pepper
Prepare the Watercress Puree:
Place the watercress, spinach, garlic, walnuts, olive oil, lime juice, and water in a blender and puree until smooth. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve if stringy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Warm the puree just prior to use, but be careful not to overheat as the color will fade.
To prepare the monkfish:
Heat the grapeseed oil in a saute pan over high heat. Season the monkfish with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Saute the monkfish for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, adding the butter halfway through. Once the monkfish is golden brown, drizzle the 1 teaspoon lemon juice over it. Remove from the pan and let rest for 3 minutes before boning and thinly slicing into 24 slices. Add the endive, apple, onion, and olive oil to the same pan. Saute for 5 minutes; add the 1 tablespoon lemon juice and the orange juice and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Once the vegetables are tender, add the watercress and cook just until the watercress is wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Assembly:
Cover the bottom of each plate with a thin layer of the warmed puree. Arrange some of the apple-vegetable mixture in a mound in the center of the puree. Place 6 slices of the monkfish around the puree and sprinkle with the micro herbs. Top with pepper.
