Recipes – № 8
Warm Lentil Salad with Pancetta-Wrapped Monkfish
Monkfish is a lean, mild-tasting fish with a firm texture not unlike chicken. It pairs well with full-flavored fish or meat broths or even bacon. In this recipe, pancetta adds depth and richness while the vinegar in the lentil salad cuts through the fat from the pancetta.
Serves 4
1.5 cups dried lentils. About 2/3 lb. Choose black, green or brown lentils, but not red, which don't hold their shape)
3 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 red onion or equivalent amount of another onion variety. When available, spring onions or scallions are great options.
1 carrot
1 celery stalk or equivalent amount of fennel bulbs
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
1 1/3 lbs of monkfish (cleaned)
4 slices of pancetta, 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick, roughly the same shape as supermarket bacon slices
8-12 sage leaves
Rinse the lentils in a sieve and cover with 2 inches of cold water in a medium pot. Slice the root ends off the garlic cloves, crack the skins by squashing the garlic under the side of a large knife blade and peel. Add garlic, bay leaf and some sea salt, bring to a boil and simmer covered until the lentils are completely soft but not yet falling apart, about 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on the water level and add more water as necessary to keep all lentils submerged.
Meanwhile, finely dice the onion, carrot and celery stalk or fennel and sauté in olive oil with some salt for a few minutes until the onions have lost some, but not all, of the sharpness and before all the vegetables turn soft. Pre-heat the oven to 425F.
Drain the cooked lentils (just use a kitchen towel or gloves to hold the lid on the pot while carefully pouring the water out of the pot with the lid open a crack – no need to dirty another strainer). Add the sautéed vegetables to the lentils and stir in sea salt, balsamic vinegar and olive oil to taste. Don't be shy - you'll want to add more than a few sprinkles/drops of each. Keep warm.
Cut monkfish into 4 equal pieces, season both sides with kosher salt, place some sage leaves on top and wrap each filet in a pancetta slice. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add 2 Tbsp olive oil and place the monkfish in the hot pan. Do not move the fish in the pan until it's time to turn it over. When the bottom third of the fish has turned opaque (around 5-10 minutes, depending on how thick the pieces are), turn the fish over and fry for almost as long on the other side. Finish in the oven until just cooked all the way through. Cooked fish feels firm to the touch. If in doubt, cut the thickest piece open with a knife: cooked fish is opaque, raw fish is translucent.
Spoon lentil salad into deep plates and place pancetta-wrapped monkfish filets on top.
Variation:
Substitute a pair of boneless pheasant breasts cut into 4 equal pieces for the monkfish. This lean bird will also pair well with the pancetta.
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