Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Confit Monkfish
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
1 hour
35 minutes
2 hours 5 minutes
Serves:
4 servings (fish course)
Ayesha created this dish for Great British Menu Series 20. This Fix-It reconstruction preserves everything the judges loved — the arak-forward black beurre blanc, the raw watercress punch and the dish's Welsh-Jordanian storytelling — while correcting the faults named on the night. A firming brine an...
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Ingredients
FOR THE BEEF-FAT CONFIT MONKFISH:
4 × 140 g (5 oz) monkfish fillet, skinned and all grey membrane removed
60 g (¼ cup) fine sea salt, for the brine
1 litre (4 cups) water, for a firming 6% brine
500 g (2¼ cups) beef dripping, enough to submerge (may be reused)
2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
3 sprigs thyme
Flaky sea salt and black pepper, to finish
FOR THE PRESERVED LEMON GEL:
3 preserved lemons, skins only, flesh discarded, well rinsed
200 ml (scant 1 cup) water
20 g (1½ tbsp) caster sugar
1.5 g (scant ½ tsp) agar agar, to set the gel so it blends smooth
Lemon juice, to taste, to sharpen
FOR THE WATERCRESS VELOUTÉ:
1 shallot, sliced
20 g (1½ tbsp) butter
300 ml (1¼ cups) fish or vegetable stock
100 g (2 large bunches) watercress, plus extra to serve
50 ml (3½ tbsp) double (heavy) cream
Sea salt, to season assertively (do not under-salt)
FOR THE BLACK ARAK BEURRE BLANC:
150 ml (⅔ cup) dry white wine
50 ml (3 tbsp) white wine vinegar
30 ml (2 tbsp) arak (anise spirit; ouzo or pastis substitute)
2 shallots, finely sliced
30 ml (2 tbsp) double (heavy) cream, to stabilise the emulsion
200 g (14 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cubed and fridge-cold
1 tsp squid ink, for the black colour (optional)
Lemon juice and salt, to taste
FOR THE LAVERBREAD SNOWDON TUILE:
60 g (¼ cup) laverbread, reduced first to concentrate flavour
40 g (⅓ cup) plain flour
1 egg white
30 g (2 tbsp) melted butter
½ tsp squid ink or black sesame, for depth and colour
TO GARNISH & PLATE:
1 cucumber, in ribbons or fine discs
A handful of watercress, picked into small sprigs
Sea herbs or nasturtium, optional
EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
Immersion circulator, or a probe thermometer and a low, steady pan
Charcoal grill or barbecue (got genuinely hot)
Small saucepans for the beurre blanc, velouté and gel
High-powered blender and a fine sieve or chinois
Digital probe thermometer
Silicone mat and a flat baking tray
Squeezy bottle or piping bag
Method
STEP 1: FIRM & BRINE THE MONKFISH
Whisk the fine sea salt into the water until dissolved. Submerge the trimmed monkfish for 20 minutes — no longer. This brief brine firms the protein and is the first defence against sponginess. Lift out, rinse and pat completely dry.
STEP 2: CONFIT AT A CONTROLLED TEMPERATURE
Warm the beef dripping with the garlic and thyme and hold it at 55–60°C, using a circulator or a probe thermometer; do not let it climb. Slide in the fish and confit gently for 12–15 minutes until just set through, so the flesh stays meaty and silky rather than spongy. Lift out and pat dry again — a dry surface is essential for the char.
STEP 3: CHARCOAL CHAR FOR REAL SMOKE
Get the charcoal fiercely hot. Lay the bone-dry confit fish on the grill and char hard on every face, a little longer than feels comfortable, for genuine caramelisation and barbecue aroma. Rest 2 minutes, then season with flaky sea salt and pepper.
STEP 4: PRESERVED LEMON GEL
Simmer the rinsed preserved-lemon skins with the water and caster sugar for 10 minutes to soften. Whisk in the agar, bring to a full boil for 60 seconds, then blend smooth and pass. Chill until set, then blend again to a glossy, pipeable gel and sharpen with lemon juice. Make the full quantity so the gel reads clearly on the plate.
STEP 5: WATERCRESS VELOUTÉ
Sweat the shallot in the butter without colour. Add the stock, bring to a simmer, then add the watercress and cook just 60 seconds to keep it vivid. Blend with the cream until silky, pass and season assertively. Serve warm, or chill if you prefer it set slightly.
STEP 6: BLACK ARAK BEURRE BLANC
Reduce the wine, vinegar, arak and shallots until syrupy and almost dry. Add the cream and bring to a brief simmer — this small amount of cream stabilises the emulsion so it will not split or drift as it stands. Off a very gentle heat, whisk in the cold butter a cube at a time to a glossy emulsion, then whisk in the squid ink for the dramatic black. Season with salt and lemon, hold warm — never hot — and spoon it at the last moment.
STEP 7: LAVERBREAD SNOWDON TUILE
First reduce the laverbread in a dry pan for a few minutes to drive off water and concentrate its flavour. Beat in the flour, egg white, melted butter and squid ink to a spreadable batter, then spread thin on a silicone mat in a Snowdon silhouette. Bake at 140°C until just set, peel away while soft, then return at 170°C to crisp. Cool flat, away from any high fan.
STEP 8: PLATE
Sweep the velouté across warm plates and set the charred monkfish just off-centre. Pipe generous dots of preserved lemon gel around it, and dress cucumber and picked watercress over and around. Spoon the black beurre blanc at the last second, restrained. Rest the crisp laverbread tuile against the fish so Snowdon rises over the plate, and serve immediately.
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Instructions
FOR THE BEEF-FAT CONFIT MONKFISH:
4 × 140 g (5 oz) monkfish fillet, skinned and all grey membrane removed
60 g (¼ cup) fine sea salt, for the brine
1 litre (4 cups) water, for a firming 6% brine
500 g (2¼ cups) beef dripping, enough to submerge (may be reused)
2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
3 sprigs thyme
Flaky sea salt and black pepper, to finish
FOR THE PRESERVED LEMON GEL:
3 preserved lemons, skins only, flesh discarded, well rinsed
200 ml (scant 1 cup) water
20 g (1½ tbsp) caster sugar
1.5 g (scant ½ tsp) agar agar, to set the gel so it blends smooth
Lemon juice, to taste, to sharpen
FOR THE WATERCRESS VELOUTÉ:
1 shallot, sliced
20 g (1½ tbsp) butter
300 ml (1¼ cups) fish or vegetable stock
100 g (2 large bunches) watercress, plus extra to serve
50 ml (3½ tbsp) double (heavy) cream
Sea salt, to season assertively (do not under-salt)
FOR THE BLACK ARAK BEURRE BLANC:
150 ml (⅔ cup) dry white wine
50 ml (3 tbsp) white wine vinegar
30 ml (2 tbsp) arak (anise spirit; ouzo or pastis substitute)
2 shallots, finely sliced
30 ml (2 tbsp) double (heavy) cream, to stabilise the emulsion
200 g (14 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cubed and fridge-cold
1 tsp squid ink, for the black colour (optional)
Lemon juice and salt, to taste
FOR THE LAVERBREAD SNOWDON TUILE:
60 g (¼ cup) laverbread, reduced first to concentrate flavour
40 g (⅓ cup) plain flour
1 egg white
30 g (2 tbsp) melted butter
½ tsp squid ink or black sesame, for depth and colour
TO GARNISH & PLATE:
1 cucumber, in ribbons or fine discs
A handful of watercress, picked into small sprigs
Sea herbs or nasturtium, optional
EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
Immersion circulator, or a probe thermometer and a low, steady pan
Charcoal grill or barbecue (got genuinely hot)
Small saucepans for the beurre blanc, velouté and gel
High-powered blender and a fine sieve or chinois
Digital probe thermometer
Silicone mat and a flat baking tray
Offset spatula
Squeezy bottle or piping bag
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: FIRM & BRINE THE MONKFISH
Whisk the fine sea salt into the water until dissolved. Submerge the trimmed monkfish for 20 minutes — no longer. This brief brine firms the protein and is the first defence against sponginess. Lift out, rinse and pat completely dry.
STEP 2: CONFIT AT A CONTROLLED TEMPERATURE
Warm the beef dripping with the garlic and thyme and hold it at 55–60°C, using a circulator or a probe thermometer; do not let it climb. Slide in the fish and confit gently for 12–15 minutes until just set through, so the flesh stays meaty and silky rather than spongy. Lift out and pat dry again — a dry surface is essential for the char.
STEP 3: CHARCOAL CHAR FOR REAL SMOKE
Get the charcoal fiercely hot. Lay the bone-dry confit fish on the grill and char hard on every face, a little longer than feels comfortable, for genuine caramelisation and barbecue aroma. Rest 2 minutes, then season with flaky sea salt and pepper.
STEP 4: PRESERVED LEMON GEL
Simmer the rinsed preserved-lemon skins with the water and caster sugar for 10 minutes to soften. Whisk in the agar, bring to a full boil for 60 seconds, then blend smooth and pass. Chill until set, then blend again to a glossy, pipeable gel and sharpen with lemon juice. Make the full quantity so the gel reads clearly on the plate.
STEP 5: WATERCRESS VELOUTÉ
Sweat the shallot in the butter without colour. Add the stock, bring to a simmer, then add the watercress and cook just 60 seconds to keep it vivid. Blend with the cream until silky, pass and season assertively. Serve warm, or chill if you prefer it set slightly.
STEP 6: BLACK ARAK BEURRE BLANC
Reduce the wine, vinegar, arak and shallots until syrupy and almost dry. Add the cream and bring to a brief simmer — this small amount of cream stabilises the emulsion so it will not split or drift as it stands. Off a very gentle heat, whisk in the cold butter a cube at a time to a glossy emulsion, then whisk in the squid ink for the dramatic black. Season with salt and lemon, hold warm — never hot — and spoon it at the last moment.
STEP 7: LAVERBREAD SNOWDON TUILE
First reduce the laverbread in a dry pan for a few minutes to drive off water and concentrate its flavour. Beat in the flour, egg white, melted butter and squid ink to a spreadable batter, then spread thin on a silicone mat in a Snowdon silhouette. Bake at 140°C until just set, peel away while soft, then return at 170°C to crisp. Cool flat, away from any high fan.
STEP 8: PLATE
Sweep the velouté across warm plates and set the charred monkfish just off-centre. Pipe generous dots of preserved lemon gel around it, and dress cucumber and picked watercress over and around. Spoon the black beurre blanc at the last second, restrained. Rest the crisp laverbread tuile against the fish so Snowdon rises over the plate, and serve immediately.
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