Sous Vide Monk Fish with Parma Ham

Monk fish is a great meaty fish that stands up to roasting and can bring a little wow to any dinner party. Here in the USA we rarely find the whole fish on sale. Probably for good reason, as it is not the most attractive fish in the sea; it is slimy and has a very large mouth. It is only the tail and the liver that are usually consumed. It does take some preparation to remove the cartilage spine and skin from the tail so if you can, get your fishmonger to prepare it for you.

Take the tail and remove any membrane that has been left on then dry it out on a kitchen towel.

Place a large piece of plastic wrap on a clean work surface. Spray with a little olive oil then lay out Prosciutto di Parma ham with each slice just overlapping. Lay enough to just exceed the length of your Monk fish.

Place your Monk fish on the Parma and season lightly with a little pepper (no need to add salt as the Prosciutto di Parma has plenty!)

Tightly wrap the Parma around the Monk Fish then vacuum seal in a bag. You can then refrigerate until ready to cook.

Place the bag in a water bath (circulator) set to 142 f for 17 minutes. Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Remove the fish from the vacuum bag and in an oiled pan, brown the Monk Fish finishing with a little butter.

Slice the Monk fish and make a little lemon dressing.

We served it with some of our own saffron pasta and broccoli rabe and a few delicate shavings of parmesan cheese.