38 The Times MagazineEat!
BEN TISH
CHICKEN, GRILLED GEM,
ROASTED TOMATOES,
CROUTONS AND PARMESAN
Serves 6- 1 small free-range chicken
- Half a lemon
- Half a bulb of garlic
- Olive oil, for rubbing
and drizzling - Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 250g plum tomatoes,
cut in half - 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 heads Little Gem lettuce,
quartered, core removed - 2 slices day-old sourdough,
ripped into chunks - 75g finely grated parmesan
- 75ml red wine vinegar
- 130ml extra virgin olive oil
- Preheat the oven to 170C
(190C non-fan). Stuff the chicken
with the lemon and garlic, rub
with oil, season well and place in
a roasting tin. Roast for about
1 hour or until the chicken is
golden brown and the juices run
clear when a skewer is inserted
into the thickest part of the
chicken. Rest in the tray for
40 minutes. Turn down the oven
to 140C (160C non-fan). - While the chicken is resting,
place the tomatoes and rosemary
sprigs in another roasting tray,
season and drizzle with oil. Place
in the oven for 30 minutes or so
until the tomatoes are nicely
roasted and caramelised. Reserve.- Heat a grill pan or large sauté
pan over a medium heat. Toss the
lettuce and bread in olive oil and
season. Grill (or pan roast) the
lettuce on all sides until charred
and tender, then remove from the
heat. Follow with the sourdough
and grill to colour it all over. - To serve, pull chunks of meat
from the chicken and place in
a bowl with the lettuce, tomatoes,
bread and grated parmesan.
Whisk together the red wine
vinegar and extra virgin olive oil,
adding in a tablespoon of the
chicken juices, and pour this over
the salad. Mix well, season to
taste and divide between bowls.
GRILLED MONKFISH TAIL,
BORLOTTI BEANS, MUSSELS,
CHILLI AND SALSA VERDE
Serves 4- Olive oil
- 1 banana shallot, finely
chopped - 1 large red chilli, deseeded
and finely chopped- 2 bay leaves
- 200g fresh mussels, washed
and bearded - 50g unsalted butter
- Glass of white wine
- 1 x 400g can borlotti beans,
drained and rinsed - Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 x 200g monkfish tails on the
bone, skinned and cleaned - 1 lemon
1. Heat a medium saucepan over
a medium heat and add a glug of
olive oil. Sweat the shallot and
chilli until softened, along with
the bay leaves. Add the mussels,
butter and white wine. Cover
and steam the mussels until they
have just opened. Remove the
mussels from the pan to cool
(discard any unopened ones) and
add the beans to the buttery
mussel stock. Season well and
bring to a simmer.
2. Heat a griddle pan or large
sauté pan to a medium heat.
Season the monkfish tails, rub
with olive oil and grill them on
all sides to caramelise and cook
through (about 7-8 minutes). The
fish should turn opaque and be
firm to the touch but still juicy.
3. Remove the fish from the pan,
squeeze over some lemon juice
and rest for a couple of minutes.
Pick half the mussels from the
shells and add to the beans.
Squeeze on some more lemon
juice and check the seasoning.- Serve the beans in bowls,
top with a monkfish tail and
scatter over the remaining
mussels. Finish with a spoon
of salsa verde (see below).
SALSA VERDE
This will keep in the fridge for
up to 2 weeks to use on grilled
meat, fish and vegetables.- Half a bunch of flat-leaf
parsley (with stalks) - Half a bunch of mint
- Half a bunch of chives
- 2 tsp capers, drained
- 2 salted anchovies
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- Juice of half a lemon
- Salt and freshly
ground pepper - 120ml extra virgin olive oil
Put all the ingredients, apart from
the olive oil, in a jug blender.
Start to blend, then slowly add
the oil in a steady stream until
you have a thick, rustic sauce. nThe Princess Royal, 47 Hereford
Road, London W2 (020 3096 6996;
cubitthouse.co.uk)