Monkfish scampi and watercress soup
Chunks of monkfish make a mighty scampi, deep fried with lemon zest, and served with a wholesome watercress and spinach soup.
Ingredients
For the soup
- olive oil, for cooking
- 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 large potato, peeled and thinly sliced
- 800ml/1½ pints vegetable stock
- 2 large bunches watercress, washed and dried
- large handful spinach, washed and dried
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the monkfish
- 500g/1lb 2oz trimmed monkfish fillet
- 1 lemon, zest only
- oil, for deep frying
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú plain flour
- 2 free-range eggs, beaten
- 200g/7oz Japanese panko breadcrumbs
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
- extra virgin olive oil
Method
To make the soup, heat a medium saucepan and add a drizzle of oil and the butter. Once melted and hot, add the onion and garlic and cook for a minute without colouring. Add the sliced potato and then pour on enough of the vegetable stock to cover. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the potato is cooked. Cool slightly, then transfer the contents of the pan to a blender.
Place a frying pan over a medium-high heat and add a little more oil. Add the watercress and spinach and fry briefly until just wilted. Remove from the heat and add the watercress and spinach to the blender with the other ingredients. Blend until smooth. (You may need to strain into another pan to get any large stalks out). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
To make the monkfish, cut the fish into thumb-sized pieces and season with salt, pepper and lemon zest, reserving a little of the lemon zest to serve. Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 200C (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended). Put the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs in three separate bowls. One at a time, pass the pieces of fish through the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs to coat evenly all over. Once coated, lay the pieces out on a tray. Fry the fish pieces for about 2 minutes in the hot oil, or until golden-brown and crisp. Carefully remove from the hot oil and transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Season the scampi with salt and lemon zest.
When you are ready to serve, pour the watercress soup back into a pan. Heat through gently. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Divide the soup between among four warmed bowls. Top with the monkfish scampi and finish each serving with a drizzle of good-quality olive oil to serve.
