Bacon Wrapped Monkfish Recipe with Potatoes, Samphire and Sugar Snap Peas
Roasted (air fryer or oven-baked) monkfish tail with thyme and black pepper wrapped in streaky bacon served with new potatoes, samphire and sugar snap peas is a wonderfully simple but showy dinner for two!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Modern British
Keyword bacon wrapped monkfish, monkfish and bacon, monkfish with bacon, monkfish wrapped in bacon
Cut the new potatoes into bite-sized pieces, place them into and 18cm (7") saucepan of well-salted water (I use 1 teaspoon in a pan this size), bring them to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let them air dry for a minute or two.
Pick the leaves from 2 of the sprigs of thyme, season the monkfish with a pinch of salt then sprinkle over the thyme leaves.
"Thin out" the rashers of streaky bacon by placing them on a chopping board and drag the blunt edge of the knife over them, then wrap the fish in the bacon. Be sure that the bacon "join" I on the bottom of the fish.
Top and tail the sugar snap peas and cut them in half.
Zest the lemon, then cut the lemon in half.
Place the bacon-wrapped fish on a baking tray and bake for 18-22 minutes in the oven at 200°°C or 390F. Alternatively, cook in an air fryer at 180°C or 350°F for 15-18 minutes. You are looking for a nice colour on the bacon and an internal temperature of around 55°C or 132°F. If you prefer your fish a little firmer you can cook it all the way up to around 63°C or 145°F, if you go any higher it will become a bit like cotton wool
Heat a 25cm (10") frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the butter and when it begins to foam add the remaining sprig of thyme, the potatoes and the remaining salt, then saute for 3-4 minutes.
Add the lemon zest and pour in the cider, reduce by half.
Toss in the samphire and sugar snap peas, squeeze in the juice from half of the lemon, add a lid, remove from the heat and steam until the monkfish is ready.