Forget the predictable poultry parade. This Christmas, culinary star Georgina Hayden is championing a spectacular seafood centrepiece that promises to dazzle your dinner guests. Her recipe for pan-fried monkfish with a decadent herby champagne butter offers a luxurious and surprisingly straightforward alternative to the traditional roast.
A Festive Fish Showstopper
The recipe, designed to serve four to six people, turns the firm, sweet flesh of monkfish into the star of the festive table. Georgina Hayden, the acclaimed cookbook author and former food editor, developed this dish as a refreshing departure from heavier Christmas fare. It combines elegant presentation with robust flavours, ensuring it holds its own amidst the holiday trimmings.
Preparation is refreshingly simple, with a total cooking time clocking in at well under an hour. The process begins with creating a vibrant herb paste. A generous bunch of flat-leaf parsley is blended with capers, garlic, and cornichons to form the flavour base for the show-stopping sauce.
The Luxurious Champagne Butter Sauce
The true magic of this dish lies in its sumptuous butter sauce. In a pan, dry vermouth or white wine is brought to a bubble before being enriched with double cream. The herby parsley paste is then stirred through, followed by the pièce de résistance: a generous 125ml of champagne or sparkling wine. The sauce is finished with cold, cubed butter whisked in off the heat, creating a velvety, glossy emulsion that clings to the fish.
"It’s a real showstopper of a sauce," Hayden notes, emphasising that the champagne adds a necessary acidity and festive sparkle that cuts through the richness. For the monkfish itself, two thick tails are simply seasoned, dusted with plain flour, and pan-fried in oil and butter until beautifully golden and cooked through.
Serving Suggestions and Final Touches
To serve, the monkfish is sliced into medallions and draped with the warm, herb-flecked champagne butter. Hayden recommends accompanying the fish with simple, clean sides that won’t compete with the main event. Buttery mashed potatoes, steamed greens, or a crisp salad are all excellent choices. The result is a Christmas main course that feels both special and modern, offering a lighter yet deeply satisfying culinary experience.
This recipe successfully demonstrates that holiday dining doesn't have to be bound by convention. With its impressive visuals and sophisticated flavour profile, Georgina Hayden's pan-fried monkfish provides a compelling case for a seafood-centric Christmas celebration.
