Advent Recipe Day Nine: Monkfish with Saffron-Infused Salt

Scald the tomatoes in order to peel and cut them into 4 wedges (lengthwise) and then seed.

Season with salt, black pepper and a pinch of sugar.

Roast/dry in the oven at 100°C for 90 minutes.

Roll up the petal-shaped wedges width-wise. Reserve in mild olive oil.

Sauté the butternut squash, carrots, onion and garlic in extra virgin olive oil.

Add the tomato paste, saffron and honey.

Season with salt, Cayenne pepper, Espelette pepper and sweet smoked La Vera paprika.

Moisten with the chicken stock, cover and cook at a simmer until the vegetables are tender.

Blend, adjust seasoning and set aside.

Cut off the stalk and cut the spring onion lengthwise to obtain 4 wedges.

Char the wedges on both cut sides using a sauté pan. Use a pre-cut square of aluminium foil to place the wedges on and to char on the sauté pan.

Once ready, separate each spring onion scale to obtain petal-shaped pieces and set aside for later use.

Cover a ceramic plate with film wrap.

Destem the sprigs, brush mild olive oil on the parsley leaves and place them on the tightly filmed-wrapped plate.

Cover the leaves with another layer of tightly wrapped film wrap so that the leaves stay flat.

Heat in the microwave at maximum heat for one minute.

Remove the last layer of film wrap and repeat the same process for another 30 seconds.

Reserve the fried leaves on a paper towel.

Crush the fleur de sel and saffron threads together until obtaining a yellow-coloured salt or use the Advent Calendar spice mix.

Set aside.

Season the monkfish fillet with salt and black pepper.

Cook in the sauté pan with butter until it is golden and juicy.

Allow to rest for 1 minute before cutting the monkfish into thin medallions.

Reheat the butternut squash and carrot cream, the roasted tomatoes and the charred spring onion petals.

Place 3 monkfish medallions in the centre of a deep dish.

Place a tomato petal roll beside each medallion.

Place a charred spring onion petal on top of each tomato petal roll.

Place a fried parsley leaf on top of each tomato roll.