Monkfish wrapped in Serrano ham with lobster risotto

Sweet and tender chunks of monkfish wrapped in Serrano ham served on a bed of tasty lobster-flavoured risotto makes an impressive dish for a posh dinner party, yet it’s simple enough to serve as a delicious family supper.

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Poor man’s lobster

Monkfish is often referred to as poor man’s lobster because of its firm meaty texture and sweet juicy flesh and also because it costs a lot less than lobster! It isn’t the prettiest fish in the ocean, but oh my goodness, it is one of the best tasting pieces of fish that you can buy.

To look at the fish you wouldn’t say it would even be edible, never mind delicious. It has a huge flat head and a wide gaping mouth lined with razor sharp teeth and a dark, knobbly tough skin. Although you can eat the cheeks of the monkfish, the most common cut is the tail which is a firm boneless cut, separated into two halves by a main central bone. Apart from this bone, there are no other smaller bones in the flesh.

The flesh of the monkfish is firm and doesn’t flake like normal white fish. This texture makes it ideal for wrapping in ham and baking in the oven. The saltiness of the ham pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the monkfish flesh.

Lobster risotto

There is only one word to describe this lobster-flavoured risotto, and that is ‘YUM’.

There is a lot of controversy about cooking risotto at home – some people think that risotto difficult and time-consuming to make. But nothing could be further from the truth. My recipe for lobster-flavoured risotto is really simple to make, and it takes less than half-an-hour to get a deliciously creamy dish with a lobster flavour that goes perfectly with the monkfish tails.

All you have to do is soften the shallots and celery in butter, then stir in the rice so it gets coated with all the lovely buttery flavours. The stock gets added to the rice one ladleful at a time, and this is the time consuming bit. You do have to stir quite often to allow the rice to break down and release its starches. This is where the creaminess of the risotto is created. Once all the liquid has been absorbed, all that’s left to do is to stir through the cream, the parmesan cheese and the lobster.

I don’t use fresh lobster in this risotto as I’m not looking for a substantial risotto that could stand as a meal in its own right. All I am looking for is a nice lobster flavour to complement the monkfish, rather than overpower it. For that reason I use a small can of dressed lobster which I buy from my local supermarket and stir it through the risotto right at the end. This gives just the right amount of flavour to the rice.

Recipe information

You can get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making this monkfish wrapped in serrano ham, and the lobster risotto on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

• Prep time – 15 minutes
• Cooking time – 20 minutes for monkfish / 35 minutes for risotto (but you can cook part of the risotto while the monkfish is in the oven).
• Resting time – 5 minutes (for the monkfish)
• Yield – serves 2
• Calories – 947 per serving
• Main equipment – Frying pan and/or large saucepan.

Ingredients

I’ve split the ingredients into two – one for the monkfish and the other for the risotto.

Monkfish wrapped in serrano ham

For the monkfish you will only need three ingredients:

• Monkfish fillets – You should allow 150g of monkfish per person. If the monkfish is still on the bone, use a sharp knife to remove the fillets from the bone taking care to cut as close to the bone as possible. Also, remove any membranes that may still be on the fish. Your fishmonger should be able to do all of this for you. Cut the fillets into strips about 4″ (or 10cm) long.
• Serrano ham – can be substituted with parma ham. You will need one piece of ham for each piece of monkfish.
• Olive oil – for frying the wrapped monkfish.

Lobster risotto

This looks like quit a long list of ingredients, but you will have most if not all of them in your pantry.

Risotto rice – this is known as arborio rice in the UK. It is a short grained rice that absorbs moisture readily and contains a large amount of starch that give the risotto its characteristic texture. Ordinary white or long-grained rice will not work for this dish.

Shallots and celery – these provide the aromatic element. The shallots and celery should be finely diced, approximately the same size as a grain of rice. I find it easiest to chop them by hand so that you can control the size. You could use a food processor to chop them, but be careful not to over process.

Garlic and thyme – more aromatics. The garlic should be finely minced, and the thyme leaves picked off the stalk. Use fresh thyme if possible – it is much nicer than dried thyme for this recipe. If you do use dried thyme, you will only need one-third of the amount stated in the recipe for fresh thyme. Dried herbs are much more concentrated than fresh.

Fresh lemon juice – for a hint of acidity. You can use bottled lemon juice if that is all you have to hand.

Stock cube – dissolved in 1 and half cups of boiling water. You can use either a chicken or a vegetable stock cube. If you have fresh chicken stock you could use that instead.

Lobster paste – I’ve called it lobster paste because this is what it looks like but it is really dressed lobster. I buy it in small cans weighing only 43g (1 1/2 oz). I’ve included the picture of the box alongside the open can so you can see for yourself what it looks like. If you prefer a stronger lobster flavour, by all means, use 2 of these little cans. You can substitute the dressed lobster for the equivalent amount of dressed crab meat if you prefer.

Parmesan cheese – finely grated.

Butter – use unsalted if possible so that you can control the amount of seasoning.

Fresh cream – I used double cream in this recipe, but single cream will work just as well.

Salt – this is optional and should only be added at the end of the cooking process if you think the risotto needs it.

Instructions

Monkfish and ham

Rolll each fillet of monkfish in a slice of Serrano ham. There’s no need to secure with a toothpick – the ham will stay rolled around the fish.

Fry the rolls in the olive oil until the ham starts to crisp, then transfer the rolls to baking dish and pour over any juices left in the frying pan.

Cover the dish with tinfoil and place it into the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the monkfish is cooked through. The actual time will depend on the thickness of the fillets. Be careful not to overcook the fish.

Remove the dish from the oven and set aside to allow the monkfish to rest for 5 minutes.

Risotto

I cooked my risotto in the same pan that I used for the monkfish. If you prefer to make your risotto in a saucepan that is absolutely fine.

• Chop the shallot and celery finely, mince the garlic and pull the thyme leaves from the stalk.
• Melt half the butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan and then add the chopped vegetables, garlic and thyme. Cook them over a low heat, stirring occasionally until the onions and celery have started to soften. Keep the heat low so that the butter does not brown and the vegetables don’t start to burn.
• Now add in the rice and stir well so that each grain of rice gets coated.
• Add one ladle of the prepared stock along with the lemon juice and stir until the stock has been absorbed into the rice. Keep on adding the stock one ladle at a time and stirring until the stock has all been absorbed.
• Test the rice for doneness. It should be firm but cooked through – ie you shouldn’t feel any hard pieces in the rice when you bite into it.
• Stir in the cream and the grated cheese and continue cooking (and stirring) on a low heat until the cheese has melted. Stir in the remaining butter.
• Finally, stir in the lobster along with any juices in the can.
• Taste for seasoning and add salt and black pepper to your own taste if necessary.
• To serve, arrange a pile of risotto onto a plate and top with the rested monkfish. Serve with your favourite green vegetable and a wedge of lemon. Garnish with chopped chives if desired.

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The recipe

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