These crispy pastry baskets or purses, also known as moneybags because of their shape, are a delicious combination of textures and flavours. The crispy pastry and meaty white fish, along with fruity overtones of the passion fruit vinegar, make this a very special little bite. We’ve used Passion Fruit Pulp Vinegar however if you don’t have this, you can always use an alternative fruit vinegar or some balsamic vinegar.
PrintMonkfish Pastry Baskets with Passion Fruit Vinegar & Mint
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Cuisine: Fish
Ingredients
- 1 monkfish fillet (approx 250g)
- 4 sheets of brick pastry (feuilles de brick)
- 50ml passion fruit vinegar or alternative fruit / balsamic vinegar
- 12 leaves of fresh mint, chopped
- course sea salt
- extra virgin olive oil
- baking twine
- 2 free range eggs
Instructions
- Cut the monkfish fillet into 4 and then in a griddle or frying pan, cook the fish with a few drops of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt for about 1 minute each side. You don’t need to do it for any longer as the fish will be finished off in the oven. Remove and set aside.
- Add the passion fruit vinegar to a saucepan and reduce, over a low flame. If you don’t have passion fruit or another fruit vinegar, you can also use balsamic vinegar. Heat for about 10 minutes, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon, until you get a jam-like reduction. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, spread out your sheets of brick pastry on your work surface and using a pastry cutter or upturned bowl, cut out 4 circles about 15cm in diameter.
- Take one of your pastry circles and in the centre place one of your pieces of monkfish. Spoon over 1 tsp of the vinegar reduction and add 4 chopped mint leaves.
- Gather up the edges of the pastry into a basket shape and tie them with baking twine. Repeat this with the other 3.
- In a small mixing bowl, beat the two eggs together with tablespoon or two of water to thin. Then brush the outside of pastry with the egg wash.
- Preheat the oven to 210C and then bake the baskets for 6 minutes or until golden.
- Remove and serve with an added spoonful of the vinegar reduction on a plate.
