Monkfish with crown prince gnocchi, mussels and black radish – By Tristan Mason
INGREDIENTS
(Serves four)
Butter and salt - for finishing
1 black radish, finely sliced and blanched
600g monkfish fillet, trimmed and sliced in to 16 equal pieces
28 mussels, cleaned, cooked and picked (keep warm)
For the crown prince gnocchi
400g Crown Prince squash
1/2 egg
80g flour
Salt
Oil
50g butter
For the trompette de mort velouté
200g trompettes de mort, cleaned
400g chicken stock
50g butter, plus extra to fry mushroom garnish
100g double cream
4g lecithin
Salt
For the pumpkin purée (enough for 10-12)
2kg pumpkin
100g butter
100g double cream
METHOD
To make the Crown Prince gnocchi, cut squash into four or six equal pieces. Cover with foil and roast in oven at 200°C for one hour. Take off foil, cook for further 30 minutes and pass through fine sieve. Mix in egg, flour and salt to taste. Roll out, cut into 2.5cm pieces and blanch in boiling water until the gnocchi rises. Refresh in iced water. Dry on absorbant paper, brush lightly with oil, cover and reserve.
To make the trompette de mort velouté, bring 150g of the mushrooms, chicken stock and butter to boil, simmer for one hour, add double cream, bring to boil, blend and pass through chinois. Blend in lecithin until emulsified. Season to taste.
For the pumpkin purée, cut pumpkin into eight or 10 pieces. Cover with foil and roast in oven at about 200°C for one hour. Take off foil, cook for further 30 minutes, pass through fine sieve and dry off in pan. Bring butter and cream to boil, blend with pumpkin until smooth. Salt to taste.
To finish, reheat the purée, warm the velouté, fry gnocchi until golden and finish with butter. Sauté remaining trompettes in butter, salt to taste. Fold radish slices in half and then half again (ie, into quarter shapes). In a very hot non-stick frying pan, cook the monkfish pieces. Decorate four plates with the pumpkin purée, pieces of gnocchi, mussels and monkfish. Place trompettes and radish on top. Froth the warm velouté and spoon over the top.
By Tristan Mason, head chef, The Hare and Hounds, Near Hungerford, Berkshire