Christine's Menu
Christine Thornton's dishes included roast stuffed monkfish and summer pudding:
Avocado and citrus salad
Serves 6
Ingredients
Juice of half a lemon
2.5ml/half teaspoon caster sugar
10ml/2 teaspoons chopped mint
Salt and black pepper
45ml/3 tablespoons grapeseed or sunflower oil
3 large Hass avocados
1 large grapefruit
1 large orange
Mint sprigs to garnish
First make the dressing by whisking the lemon juice, caster sugar, mint and seasoning together until the sugar has dissolved. Gradually whisk in the oil.
Cut the avocados in half and remove the stones. Cut the avocado halves in half again, so that the peel can be removed easily by starting it off with the point of a knife. Cut the flesh into thin sections and place in a bowl. Pour the dressing over. Cut a slice from top and bottom of the grapefruit and orange so that they stand flat on a board. Cut downwards, in narrow strips, to remove peel and pith. With a sharp knife cut between the segment membranes to remove the flesh, working over the bowl containing the avocado so that no juice is wasted. Add the grapefruit and orange segments to the bowl.
Arrange the avocado, citrus fruits and dressing on individual serving dishes or plates and garnish with sprigs of mint.
Recipe from New Cookery Year, Readers Digest
Roast stuffed Monkfish with saffron, lemon, tomato and capers
Serves 6
Ingredients
1.5kg (3lb) monkfish tail, skinned and backbone removed, leaving 2
fillets attached if possible and remove all pink membrane from the fillets
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, coursely crushed
1 tablespoon roughly chopped thyme
1 tablespoon sea salt flakes salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the stuffing
A good pinch of saffron
50g (2oz) can of anchovy fillets in oil, drained
half lemon, cut into thin slices
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 red pepper, roasted and torn into wide strips
4-5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
For the sauce
175ml (6fl oz) Fish Stock
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
15g (half an ounce) butter
Juice of half a small lemon
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 tablespoon capers in brine, drained and rinsed
If your fishmonger has not already done so, you will need to bone the monkfish. You'll notice that the bone sticks out a bit more on one side of the tail. Cut the bone out from this side by carefully slicing either side of it, trying to keep the fish fillets attached to one another where you can, and then trim away the membrane from the outside of the fillets.
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade/400F/Gas Mark 6. Mix the saffron for the stuffing with 2 teaspoons of warm water and set to on side. Season the cavity of the fish from which the one was removed with a little salt and pepper. Lay the anchovy fillets at regular intervals along the cut face of each fillet, followed by the slices of lemon, pieces of roasted red pepper, the garlic and finally the sun-dried tomatoes. Sprinkle over the saffron water and a little of the olive oil and then bring the sides up together so that you trap all the stuffing in place. Tie it at 2.5cm (1 inch) intervals along its length with fine string.
Sprinkle the crushed black peppercorns, thyme and sea salt over the base of a small roasting tin. Add the monkfish and turn it over in the mixture so that it takes on an even coating. Now turn it right side up again and sprinkle over the rest of the olive oil.
Roast the monkfish for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and transfer to a carving plate. Slice it across, between the pieces of string, into slices 2.5cm (1 inch) thick. Keep warm while you make the sauce.
Place the roasting tin over a medium heat and add the fish stock. Bring to the boil, scraping up all the bits and pieces from the bottom of the tin as you do so. Strain the juices into a small pan and add any juices from the carving plate, plus the extra virgin olive oil, butter and lemon juice. Bring to the boil and leave it to boil vigorously for about 4 minutes, until it has reduced slightly and emulsified. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley, capers and half a teaspoon of salt.
Spoon the sauce around the fish and serve with plenty of boiled baby new potatoes.
Adapted from a recipe for Roast Stuffed Monkfish Mediterranean Style from Rick Stein's Seafood Odyssey by Rick Stein, BBC Books.
Summer Pudding
Serves 6
Ingredients
6-8 slices stale while bread (3 days) 1cm/half an inch thick, crusts removed
675g/1 and a half pounds of mixed soft fruits
100g/4oz caster sugar
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blackcurrants and blueberries etc., are all suitable for this dish and can be mixed according to taste.
Line the bottom of a 900ml/1 and a half pint souffle dish or pudding basin with one or two slices of the bread to cover the base completely. Line the sides of the dish with more bread making sure the bread fits snugly with no gaps.
Cash the fruit, removing the stones where applicable. Put fruit sugar into a wide, solid pan. Bring to the boil over very low heat, and cook for 3 minutes only, until the sugar melts and juices are runny. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Spoon the fruit and remaining juice into the dish and cover the top with the remaining bread. Weight the top down and chill in the fridge for 8 hours (suitable for freezing at this point).
Before serving, remove weight, invert the serving plate and turn out. Sprinkle with icing sugar and garnish with fresh mint. Serve with either ice cream or fresh cream.
Dinner Party 4: Sharon Eaton
Serves 6
Ingredients
Juice of half a lemon
2.5ml/half teaspoon caster sugar
10ml/2 teaspoons chopped mint
Salt and black pepper
45ml/3 tablespoons grapeseed or sunflower oil
3 large Hass avocados
1 large grapefruit
1 large orange
Mint sprigs to garnish
First make the dressing by whisking the lemon juice, caster sugar, mint and seasoning together until the sugar has dissolved. Gradually whisk in the oil.
Cut the avocados in half and remove the stones. Cut the avocado halves in half again, so that the peel can be removed easily by starting it off with the point of a knife. Cut the flesh into thin sections and place in a bowl. Pour the dressing over. Cut a slice from top and bottom of the grapefruit and orange so that they stand flat on a board. Cut downwards, in narrow strips, to remove peel and pith. With a sharp knife cut between the segment membranes to remove the flesh, working over the bowl containing the avocado so that no juice is wasted. Add the grapefruit and orange segments to the bowl.
Arrange the avocado, citrus fruits and dressing on individual serving dishes or plates and garnish with sprigs of mint.
Recipe from New Cookery Year, Readers Digest
Roast stuffed Monkfish with saffron, lemon, tomato and capers
Serves 6
Ingredients
1.5kg (3lb) monkfish tail, skinned and backbone removed, leaving 2
fillets attached if possible and remove all pink membrane from the fillets
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, coursely crushed
1 tablespoon roughly chopped thyme
1 tablespoon sea salt flakes salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the stuffing
A good pinch of saffron
50g (2oz) can of anchovy fillets in oil, drained
half lemon, cut into thin slices
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 red pepper, roasted and torn into wide strips
4-5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
For the sauce
175ml (6fl oz) Fish Stock
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
15g (half an ounce) butter
Juice of half a small lemon
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 tablespoon capers in brine, drained and rinsed
If your fishmonger has not already done so, you will need to bone the monkfish. You'll notice that the bone sticks out a bit more on one side of the tail. Cut the bone out from this side by carefully slicing either side of it, trying to keep the fish fillets attached to one another where you can, and then trim away the membrane from the outside of the fillets.
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade/400F/Gas Mark 6. Mix the saffron for the stuffing with 2 teaspoons of warm water and set to on side. Season the cavity of the fish from which the one was removed with a little salt and pepper. Lay the anchovy fillets at regular intervals along the cut face of each fillet, followed by the slices of lemon, pieces of roasted red pepper, the garlic and finally the sun-dried tomatoes. Sprinkle over the saffron water and a little of the olive oil and then bring the sides up together so that you trap all the stuffing in place. Tie it at 2.5cm (1 inch) intervals along its length with fine string.
Sprinkle the crushed black peppercorns, thyme and sea salt over the base of a small roasting tin. Add the monkfish and turn it over in the mixture so that it takes on an even coating. Now turn it right side up again and sprinkle over the rest of the olive oil.
Roast the monkfish for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and transfer to a carving plate. Slice it across, between the pieces of string, into slices 2.5cm (1 inch) thick. Keep warm while you make the sauce.
Place the roasting tin over a medium heat and add the fish stock. Bring to the boil, scraping up all the bits and pieces from the bottom of the tin as you do so. Strain the juices into a small pan and add any juices from the carving plate, plus the extra virgin olive oil, butter and lemon juice. Bring to the boil and leave it to boil vigorously for about 4 minutes, until it has reduced slightly and emulsified. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley, capers and half a teaspoon of salt.
Spoon the sauce around the fish and serve with plenty of boiled baby new potatoes.
Adapted from a recipe for Roast Stuffed Monkfish Mediterranean Style from Rick Stein's Seafood Odyssey by Rick Stein, BBC Books.
Summer Pudding
Serves 6
Ingredients
6-8 slices stale while bread (3 days) 1cm/half an inch thick, crusts removed
675g/1 and a half pounds of mixed soft fruits
100g/4oz caster sugar
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blackcurrants and blueberries etc., are all suitable for this dish and can be mixed according to taste.
Line the bottom of a 900ml/1 and a half pint souffle dish or pudding basin with one or two slices of the bread to cover the base completely. Line the sides of the dish with more bread making sure the bread fits snugly with no gaps.
Cash the fruit, removing the stones where applicable. Put fruit sugar into a wide, solid pan. Bring to the boil over very low heat, and cook for 3 minutes only, until the sugar melts and juices are runny. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Spoon the fruit and remaining juice into the dish and cover the top with the remaining bread. Weight the top down and chill in the fridge for 8 hours (suitable for freezing at this point).
Before serving, remove weight, invert the serving plate and turn out. Sprinkle with icing sugar and garnish with fresh mint. Serve with either ice cream or fresh cream.
Dinner Party 4: Sharon Eaton