Monkfish with asparagus and light mashed potatoes
This year spring is delaying, so I decided to bring it into my courses making them lighter and using seasonal ingredients, as in this monkfish with asparagus and light mashed potatoes.
Waiting for the weather to stabilize and finally put away scarves and coats, I comfort myself by cooking (and eating) something good and having a little of “chromotherapy” through the colors of the ingredients that I decide to use.
Some tricks before directions
For those who do not know, monkfish is the tail of the anglerfish, a fine fish with white flesh, tender and without thorns (only has a central bone).
Often it is sold already cut into slices, but for the realization of this recipe I suggest you to get a single piece so you can cut it into quite thick morsels.
To obtain that the monkfish flesh results soft and juicy it should not be overcooked, for this recipe, depending on the size of your morsels, it takes about 5 minutes of cooking.
To make sure that your asparagus keep a bright color and a rather crunchy consistency, first you need to blanch them and then add to the fish at the end of cooking.
Monkfish with asparagus and light mashed potatoes recipe
Calories: 421 kcal
Ingredients
Serves 3- 650 gr of monkfish (in a single slice)
- 300 gr of asparagus
- 2 tablespoons of evo oil
- 2 teaspoons of shallot finely chopped
- 30 ml of white wine
- Salt and pepper
- Chives as required
- 500 gr of potatoes
- 2 tablespoons of evo oil
- Salt as required
For light mashed potatoes
Directions for the monkfish with asparagus
Remove the hardest part of the asparagus stalks, rinse and cut them into 4-5 cm long pieces.
Blanch the asparagus plunging them in boiling salted water for one minute and then transfer immediately into some water with ice to stop the cooking process.
Remove the central bone of the anglerfish and cut his flesh into not too small morsels (cooking will reduce them).
In a pan put the oil together with the shallot and brown gently for 2-3 minutes, then raise the heat, add the pieces of monkfish and quickly sear them from all sides.
Low the heat, season to taste, and cover the pan with a lid, cook for about two minutes.
After this time remove the lid, raise the heat, pour the white wine and let it evaporate for a few seconds, add the asparagus.
Wait one more minute and remove from the stove.
Direction for the light mashed potatoes
Peel your potatoes, cut into pieces and put them in a pot, just cover with cold water, add a little salt and bring the water to the boiling point.
When the potatoes are soft pick them with a perforated ladle, mash in a bowl, add the oil and little cooking water, beat with a whisk until you get a soft texture and without lumps.
Salt to taste, if necessary add a little more water and/or a drizzle of oil.
Plate presentation
Take a 10 cm food ring mold previously lightly oiled inside and put it in the center of the dish, pour a little mashed potatoes in it and use a spoon to distribute flatten it to form disks about 2 cm high.
Gently remove the food ring mold, place the morsels of monkfish over the mashed potatoes disks and then add the asparagus and moisten with the cooking sauce of the fish.
Serve your dishes of monkfish with asparagus and light mashed potatoes sprinkling with little chives.
