Monkfish Wrapped in Rosemary, Lemon & Parma Ham

by Nigella. Featured in NIGELLISSIMA

Introduction

I am fully expecting a phone call from the 1980s asking for its menu back, but in my defence this is simple, superfast (to prepare) and sensational (to eat, which is what counts) and I am not suggesting you serve it with kiwi fruit discs or a raspberry vinaigrette.

What I do is to slice the cooked monkfish thickly, so it holds its shape, and arrange these chunky medallions (I am keeping period here) on a platter, or couple of plates, lined with rubied radicchio leaves: they make for exquisite bite-sized wraps.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

As featured in

NIGELLISSIMA

2012

Buy Now

Monkfish Wrapped in Rosemary, Lemon & Parma Ham — Photo by Petrina Tinslay

As featured in

NIGELLISSIMA

2012

Buy Now

Ingredients

Serves: 2

Metric Cups

2 sprigs fresh rosemary (leaves stripped and chopped)
1 unwaxed lemon - zest of ½, plus a splash of juice to serve
2 monkfish tail fillets (approx. 150g / 6oz each)
75 grams finely sliced parma ham (or prosciutto di San Daniele)
1 tablespoon olive oil
radicchio (or other red leaves, to serve, optional)
splash of extra virgin olive oil (to serve, optional)

2 sprigs fresh rosemary (leaves stripped and chopped)
1 unwaxed lemon - zest of ½, plus a splash of juice to serve
2 monkfish tail fillets (approx. 150g / 6oz each)
3 ounces finely sliced parma ham (or prosciutto di San Daniele)
1 tablespoon olive oil
radicchio (or other red leaves, to serve, optional)
splash of extra virgin olive oil (to serve, optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 220ºC/200°C Fan/gas mark 7/425ºF.
Scatter the chopped rosemary and the lemon zest onto a chopping board, and then roll the monkfish fillets in the delicate mixture. The dampness of the fish should make everything stick.
Wrap the monkfish fillets with the cat's-tongue-pink prosciutto, rather as if you were putting on a ham bandage, letting the thin pieces overlap a little so that the fish stays covered.
Drizzle the oil in a shallow roasting tin and place the Parma-ham-covered fish in the tin. Roast for 15 minutes or until the fish is just cooked.
Take the tin out of the oven, transfer the fish to a board and let it rest for 2 or 3 minutes, while you arrange a bed of red leaves on a serving platter (dribbling a little extra-virgin olive oil and squeezing some lemon juice over the salad, if wishes). Then carve the fish into chunky diagonal slices, taking care to keep the ham in place around it (this is not as difficult as it sounds), place these on the leaves and serve immediately.

Preheat the oven to 220ºC/200°C Fan/gas mark 7/425ºF.
Scatter the chopped rosemary and the lemon zest onto a chopping board, and then roll the monkfish fillets in the delicate mixture. The dampness of the fish should make everything stick.
Wrap the monkfish fillets with the cat's-tongue-pink prosciutto, rather as if you were putting on a ham bandage, letting the thin pieces overlap a little so that the fish stays covered.
Drizzle the oil in a shallow roasting tin and place the Parma-ham-covered fish in the tin. Roast for 15 minutes or until the fish is just cooked.
Take the tin out of the oven, transfer the fish to a board and let it rest for 2 or 3 minutes, while you arrange a bed of red leaves on a serving platter (dribbling a little extra-virgin olive oil and squeezing some lemon juice over the salad, if wishes). Then carve the fish into chunky diagonal slices, taking care to keep the ham in place around it (this is not as difficult as it sounds), place these on the leaves and serve immediately.