Billy & Jack's delicately spiced roast monkfish is beautifully soft and paired wonderfully with the light beetroot curry sauce, fennel and preserved lemon onion bhaji. Get the method to achieve this yourself!

Temperatures

Cook and baste until the internal temperature of the fish reads 52˚C.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1 large monkfish tail, cleaned and prepped
• 3 tbsp curry powder
• 50g butter

For the bhaji

• 1 large fennel
• 1 small white onion
• 3 preserved lemons
• 3 tbsp gram flour
• ½ tsp tumeric
• ½ tsp curry powder
• ½ tsp hot chilli powder
• Oil to fry

Curry sauce

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp turmeric
• The black seeds from 6 cardamom pods
• 1tbsp curry leaves
• 2 red onions
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 red chillies, sliced
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 can coconut milk
• 500g cooked beetroots

Directions

To make the sauce

• First make the sauce, heat the oil and fry the curry spices on a low heat until fragrant.
• Add the onion and garlic and sweat down.
• Add the chillies, tomato purée, beetroot and coconut milk.
• Season and cook until the beetroots are soft and the sauce has reduced by ⅓.
• Blend and pass through a sieve.

To make the bhajis

• Finely slice the fennel, lemons (take out the pips) and onion.
• Toss in the spices and flour and add a little water until the mixture comes together in a fairly stiff batter.
• Heat up the oil to 180˚C and fry for 2-3 minute or until crispy.
• Season with a pinch of salt and chilli powder.

For the monkfish

• Toss the monkfish in the curry powder, heat a tbsp of oil in a pan until hot and add the fish.
• Cook carefully, browning each side and then add the butter.
• Continue to cook and baste until the internal temperature of the fish reads 52˚C.
• Take off the heat and allow to rest before slicing and serving with the sauce and bhaji.