Monkfish Wrapped in Black Truffles and Pancetta with Truffle Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

Sauce

• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 oz fresh black truffles, coarsely chopped (buy online)
• 3 Tablespoons lobster or chicken consomme or stock
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Monkfish

• 1 1/2 oz black winter truffle (buy online)
• 6 oz pancetta, sliced thin
• 2 (10 - 12 oz) skinless fillets of monkfish
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 Tablespoons plus 1 Teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 oz black truffles for garnish

Start the sauce: Cream the butter in a food processor. Add the truffles and continue processing until smooth. Cover truffle butter and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour.

To finish the dish and serve: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice 1 1/2 oz of truffles paper-thin. Set aside. For the garnish, julenne 1/2 oz of truffles.
Cut the monkfish fillets in half crosswise to form 4 equal portions. Season generously on both sides with pepper. Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in a very large skillet over high heat, 2 - 3 minutes. Add the fish pieces and cook 30 to 45 seconds on each side. Drain on paper towels; let cool about 2 minutes.

Grease a cookie sheet or baking pan with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil; set aside. Now prepare each portion of monkfish as follows: Cover all surfaces of each portion, except the very ends, with 1/4 of the reserved truffle slices; then wrap fish crosswise with 1/4 of the pancetta slices, sealing truffle slices against the fish and leaving ends of fish uncovered; ends of the pancetta slices should be underneath the fish. Once all fish portions are prepared, transfer them, seam side down, to the prepared cookie sheet. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven just until the fish is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes; do not overcook. Heat the serving plates in the oven for the last 2 to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, finish the sauce. To do this, combine the reserved chilled truffle butter with the consomme or stock in a heavy saucepan. Heat over medium heat just until the butter is melted, whisking constantly; season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

When the monkfish is cooked, cut each portion in half crosswise with a sharp knife; arrange 2 of the halves on each heated serving plate and spoon 2 Tablespoons sauce in between. Garnish with the julienne truffles. Serve immediately.

This recipe is one of many wonderful recipes found in Jean-Louis Cooking with the Seasons, by Fred Maroon, published by Lickle Publishing