Christmas mains: Georgina Hayden’s pan-fried monkfish in a herby champagne butter – recipe | Christmas food and drink

Whereas I have a tendency to stay fairly near custom with regards to my Christmas Day facet choices, I can’t keep in mind the final time I cooked a turkey or goose because the showstopper. You see, my household is usually made up of pescatarians, so something bigger than a hen or cockerel (my private favorite) for the meat eaters is simply extreme. So, alongside a lovingly cooked smaller chicken, I additionally make one thing fishy – hopefully one thing with a little bit of star-quality, however not too shouty. A dish that will probably be scrumptious, fancy, however stress-free all on the identical time. These pan-fried monkfish fillets are this yr’s answer. It’s the type of dish that may be made in subsequent to no time whereas every little thing else finishes off within the oven, however that also has all of the glitz and glamour of Christmas.Fried monkfish in herby champagne butterPrep 10 minCook 40 minServes 44 monkfish fillets4 tbsp plain flour1½ tsp floor white pepperSea salt and black pepperOlive oil3 tbsp small capers½ small bunch every contemporary flat-leaf parsley and chives, finely chopped60g unsalted butter 2 shallots, peeled and really finely chopped150ml champagne, or prosecco 300ml fish inventory 150ml double creamZest of 1 unwaxed lemonPut the monkfish fillets on a sheet of kitchen paper to soak up any extra moisture. In a shallow bowl, toss the flour with a teaspoon of floor white pepper and a half-teaspoon of sea salt, then add some freshly floor black pepper and stir. Toss every fillet within the seasoned flour, till effectively coated, then put to 1 facet.Put a big frying pan on a medium warmth and drizzle in just a few tablespoons of olive oil. Pat the capers dry, add them to the recent pan and fry for about 5 minutes, till crisp. Spoon the capers right into a bowl, add the chopped parsley and chives and stir to mix. Maintain the pan for later.Now make the sauce. Soften the butter in a medium saucepan or frying pan, add the chopped shallots, flip down the warmth slightly, then season with sea salt and the remaining half-teaspoon of floor white pepper. Prepare dinner the shallots for 5 minutes, till they begin to soften, then pour within the champagne, flip up the warmth and scale back by half.Add the inventory, deliver again to a boil, and carry on a rolling boil for about 5 minutes to cut back slightly additional. Stir within the cream, deliver to a boil for a few minutes, then style and tweak the seasoning.In the meantime, pour sufficient oil into the big frying pan simply to coat the underside, return it to a medium-high warmth and fry the seasoned monkish fillets for 3 to 4 minutes on all sides, till golden throughout and cooked via.To serve, spoon the recent sauce over a serving platter, ideally one with a lip. Prepare the fried monkfish on high, then scatter over the crisp capers and herbs. Finely grate over the lemon zest and serve immediately with gratin boulangere, caramelised carrots and shredded sprouts.