Food Friday: Roast monkfish on leek and bacon mash

Serves 4

Ingredients

75g/3oz leeks, washed and sliced

50g/2oz butter

100g/4oz streaky bacon, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

125ml/¼ pint red wine

250ml/½ pint beef stock

1 teaspoon caster sugar

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon tomato puree

4 x 150g/6oz monkfish tails, trimmed

100g/4oz buttered, mashed potatoes

1 sprig thyme

Method

Heat the oil in a pan and cook the bacon until just browned, remove to a dish. Now heat the butter in this pan, and sweat the leeks in it for two minutes, or until just cooked and soft. Next, heat the mashed potato and add the leeks and bacon to the mash. Check for seasoning, being careful not to over-salt with the bacon in the mash.

Now make the sauce by heating the wine in a saucepan and reducing by half. Next, add the stock and reduce slightly again. Add the sugar, vinegar and puree, then stir for two minutes. Put a sprig of thyme in the pot and keep warm. To prepare the fish, heat a little butter and oil in an ovenproof pan until foaming. Place the fish in the pan and cook on both sides until golden brown. Season and place the pan in the oven at 230°C/Gas 8 for about three minutes.

To serve, spoon some mash into the centre of the warmed plate, put the monkfish on top and drizzle the red wine sauce around the potato. Garnish with some flat-leaf parsley.