Monkfish Roast Wrapped in Bacon with Red and White Wine Bordelaise Sauces

Name: Monkfish Roast Wrapped in Bacon with Red and White Wine Bordelaise Sauces
Ingredients: 2.2 lbs monkfish tail (about 1 kg); 12 slices smoked bacon; 4 shallots; 2 cloves garlic; 1/2 cup red wine (Côtes du Rhône) (about 120 ml); 1/2 cup white wine (Côtes de Bergerac) (about 120 ml); 3 1/2 tablespoons salted butter (about 50 grams); 4 sprigs thyme; Espelette pepper; Olive oil; Butter; Salt; Pepper

Eric Jouanen @Eric_Maison_de_Caro

Aubagne

Big debate at home about which sauce to serve with this dish... white wine or red wine? Since no one could agree, we made both!

Eric Jouanen @Eric_Maison_de_Caro

Aubagne

Big debate at home about which sauce to serve with this dish... white wine or red wine? Since no one could agree, we made both!

Saved

Ingredients

2.2 lbsmonkfish tail (about 1 kg)
12 slicessmoked bacon
4shallots
2 clovesgarlic
1/2 cupred wine (Côtes du Rhône) (about 120 ml)
1/2 cupwhite wine (Côtes de Bergerac) (about 120 ml)
3 1/2 tablespoonssalted butter (about 50 grams)
4 sprigsthyme
Espelette pepper
Olive oil
Butter
Salt
Pepper

Saved

Steps

1

Make the thyme butter: In 3 1/2 tablespoons (50 grams) of salted butter at room temperature, strip the leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme and add a pinch of Espelette pepper. Roll the butter into a log using plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.
2

Cut the monkfish tail into 2 fillets by slicing along each side of the bone (save the bone to make fish stock). Place the fillets in a dish, drizzle with olive oil, strip the leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme over them, season with salt and Espelette pepper, and refrigerate for 1 hour, turning after 30 minutes.
3

Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C).
4

Take the monkfish fillets out of the fridge. Place slices of thyme butter on one fillet. Lay the second fillet on top, head-to-tail, so the roast is an even thickness from end to end.
5

Wrap the monkfish roast with the bacon slices and tie with kitchen twine to hold everything together.
6

Bake for 15 minutes, turning halfway through cooking.
7

For the sauces: Peel and finely chop the shallots. Peel, remove the germ, and press the garlic cloves.
8

In two small pans, melt a small knob of butter and sauté half the shallots and one garlic clove in each pan.
9

In the first pan, pour in the red wine, bring to a boil, optionally flambé to burn off the alcohol, then let it reduce a bit and season with salt and pepper.
10

Do the same in the second pan with the white wine.
11

When the wine has reduced in each pan, finish each sauce by whisking in a little butter and adjust the seasoning as needed.
12

To serve, cut two medallions of monkfish roast per plate, remove the twine, and spoon the white wine sauce over one and the red wine sauce over the other.
13

At home, we served this with sautéed fingerling potatoes and ratatouille.