Created by Head Chef Deniss Lasenko at Suesey Street, this Wrapped Monkfish recipe uses ingredients from the award-winning producers at the Irish Food Writers’ Guild Awards – in this recipe, it’s The Wooded Pig’s Coppa. Using broad beans, peas, charred baby leeks and morels, this recipe is absolutely delicious and will make a wonderful addition to any Easter meal.

Serves 4
Ingredients:

• 800g monkfish
• 100g-120g The Wooded Pig Coppa

Brine

• 60g granulated sugar
• 30g salt
• 15g light brown sugar
• 1 litre water 
• 2g ground black pepper
• 1g garlic powder 
• 10g Worcestershire sauce
• 1 fresh bay leaf

Brine Method:

1. To get your monkfish ready for brining, trim the tail, hold the skin with a towel in your hand, and pull it from the flesh like you would remove your socks.
2. Place all ingredients for brine in a large pot and bring to the boil.
3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
4. Submerge monkfish in brine and leave in fridge for 24 hours.
5. After removing monkfish from the brine, wash in ice cold water for a few minutes. Pat dry and place in the fridge to air dry for 2-5 hours.
6. Wipe down the workstation with a damp cloth to keep the surface slightly wet. This will help the cling film to stick to the table, preventing it from sliding around as you work.
7. Place a layer of cling film onto the working surface, ensuring that it covers the surface completely. Lay an even layer of coppa on top of the cling film, making sure that it is at least twice as wide as the thickness of your fillet. This will ensure that the coppa evenly covers the entire fillet.
8. Using the clingfilm, carefully roll the coppa and fillet into a tight roulade, being sure to squeeze out any excess air as you go. Once you have rolled it to your liking, tie off both ends tightly.
9. Steam at 63°C for 7 minutes. Once it has been cooked, place it into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. When it has cooled, cut into four portions.

Morel Sauce

• 100g fresh morels
• 10g butter
• 10g garlic, finely diced
• 10g shallots
• 100ml Madeira
• 10g salt
• 2g black pepper
• 100ml double cream

Morel Sauce Method:

1. Start by cleaning the morels with a soft brush to remove any dirt or debris. Cut off the bottom part of the stems if they are tough and discard.
2. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the diced garlic and shallots and sauté until softened and fragrant.
3. Deglaze the pan with Madeira and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the cleaned morels to the pan and stir to coat them in the sauce. Season with salt and black pepper.
5. Pour in the double cream and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the sauce for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened and reduced by half.
6. Once the sauce has thickened, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.
7. Transfer the morel sauce to a blender and blend until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a little water or more cream to thin to your desired consistency.

Vegetables

• 150g peas, blanched and refreshed
• 150g broad beans, blanched and refreshed
• 12 baby leeks, trimmed, blanched and refreshed
• A little white wine
• Half of a lemon
• Butter
• Olive oil

Vegetables Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Pan fry the monkfish portions to a golden colour on a hot pan, ensuring a delightful sear on all sides.
3. Carefully transfer monkfish to an oven tray and add a drizzle of lemon, a splash of white wine, and a dollop of butter on top of each piece.
4. Place the monkfish in the oven and cook for 7-10 minutes, depending on the size of the fish. We aim to reach a temperature of 73°C, probing the fish close to the bone to ensure the entire piece is cooked to perfection.
5. Reheat the broad beans and peas in a sizzling sauté pan over medium high heat with a touch of butter or olive oil and season them with salt.
6. We prefer to char our baby leeks over an open flame, but feel free to use your preferred method of cooking.

Final assembly:

Place morel sauce on the plate and lay vegetables on top. Finish with the coppa-wrapped monkfish and delicate, fresh microgreen leaves.

The Wooded Pig Coppa Wrapped Monkfish Recipe – IFWG Awards Dishes