The Sunday Times Magazine - UK (2022-06-12)

Grilled monkfish

with fennel butter

Wrapping the fish in the greens
keeps it really succulent during
the grilling process. If monkfish
is unavailable you can use cod
or any other firm-fleshed white
fish. Ask your fishmonger to
fillet and skin the fish.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4-8 large green leaves
  (eg chard or spring greens)


• 4 x 180g monkfish portions


• Olive oil

For the fennel butter

• 1 x fennel bulb


• 150g unsalted butter


• 1 tbsp Pernod


• 1 tbsp lemon juice

01 Put a large pot of water
on to boil and season
liberally with salt. Once the
water is boiling, plunge in
the leaves and cook until
the water just comes back
to the boil. Remove from the
heat and drain the greens.
Refresh under cold running
water. Pat dry.

02 Season the fish generously
on all sides with sea salt and
black pepper. Lay the greens
flat on a work surface and
place the fish at the end
closest to you. Fold over the
sides and then wrap the fish
in the greens by folding them
around it. It is important
that the fish is completely
concealed; if necessary,
encase it a second time.

03 To make the butter, remove
the fibrous outer leaves of the
fennel and discard. Slice the
bulb in half lengthwise and
finely chop. Put 40g of the
butter into a small pan over

• 10g sugar


• 100g chopped stem ginger,
  plus more for garnish

01 Heat the oven to 165C

(185C non-fan) and line

a 20cm square cake tin

with parchment.

02 Put the chopped dates

into a bowl and pour 350ml

boiling water over them. Add

the bicarbonate of soda and

set aside to let it cool. Once

it is at room temperature, add

the chopped ginger and blitz

in a blender until chunky.

03 Cream the softened butter

until smooth, add the caster

sugar and beat until light and

fluffy. Add the eggs one by

one, mixing after each, then

add the salt. Gently fold in the

flour and pour into the tin.

04 Bake in the oven for

50-60 min, until a toothpick

placed in the centre comes

out clean. Cool completely on

a wire rack before cutting.

05 While the cake is cooling,

turn up the oven to 200C

(220C non-fan). Slice the

apricots in half, remove the

stones, then quarter. Put into

a ceramic dish and scatter

the sugar on top. Add just

enough water to coat the

bottom of the dish, then

roast in the hot oven for 10-15

min, until soft and slightly

caramelised around the edges.

Remove and cool slightly.

06 Put the cold double

cream in a wide bowl with

the sugar and whisk to

soft peaks. Fold in the

chopped stem ginger.

07 Serve slices of cake with

warm apricots and spoonfuls

of ginger cream, scattered

with more stem ginger ■

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Ginger and

date cake with

roasted apricots

and ginger

cream

This makes a lovely dessert

when the first apricots come

into season. I love the contrast

between the rich spice of the

cake, the freshness of the fruit

and the zing of the cream.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

For the cake

• 200g dates, chopped


• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda


• 50g stem ginger, peeled
  and finely chopped


• 120g butter, softened


• 240g caster sugar


• 3 eggs


• ½ tsp salt


• 280g self-raising flour

For the apricots

• 10 apricots


• 30g sugar, plus more to taste

For the cream

• 200ml double cream

a low to medium heat. Once

the butter has melted, add the

chopped fennel and Pernod.

Cook until tender but not

coloured, about 20 min.

Season with a good pinch of

salt, add the rest of the butter

and finish with the lemon juice.

04 Turn on your grill to high.

Brush the fish parcels with

olive oil and season lightly

with salt. Grill for 10 min,

turning every now and then

to make sure the leaves are

charred evenly all over.

05 Remove from the grill and

slice the fish in half.

06 Warm through the fennel

butter. Arrange the fish on

warm plates and spoon over

the butter. Serve at once.

48 • The Sunday Times Magazine