Baked Monkfish, Queenie Scallops, Tomato & Basil Cream

Ingredients

Serves 6

Baked monkfish, queenie Scallops

2 monkfish tails, trimmed

30 queenie scallops

Butter for greasing

½ fennel bulb, sliced

100g shallots, finely sliced

50g mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

300ml white wine

Zest half a lemon

Basil cream

50ml double cream

50g basil, half chopped, half left whole

Sea salt

10 knobs of butter (about 125g)

Tomatoes

100g cherry tomatoes, halved

20ml olive oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

200g broad beans, blanched and shelled

Salt and pepper

Method

Tomatoes

First make the oven-dried tomatoes. Place the halved cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet. Drizzle over olive oil and crushed garlic, season with salt and pepper and place in a low oven at 80C for about 2 hours.

Baked monkfish, queenie Scallops

Chop the trimmed monkfish tails into even-sized collops (portions), enough for 2 per person.

Generously butter a deep roasting dish. Evenly spread the fennel, shallots, mushrooms and garlic on the base of the dish. Place the collops of monkfish on top, sprinkle with sea salt, pour over the white wine and grate over the lemon zest. Cover the tray tightly with cling film and place in the oven at 170C for 10 minutes.

Shuck the queenie scallops and separate the white meat from the ‘beards’.

Take the monkfish out of the oven and strain the sauce into a pan. If the fish is not quite cooked, put it back in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Basil cream

Bring the pan of fish juices and wine to the boil and add the double cream. Bring back to the boil, stirring. Add in the 10 knobs of butter and keep stirring. Add the scallops to the sauce and cook for a minute. Lastly add the chopped basil for a minute. Remove from the heat.

Serve

Place some broad beans and tomatoes on serving plates. Remove the monkfish from the oven and put 2 portions on each serving plate. Pour over the sauce and decorate with basil leaves.