This year, forget the turkey: the monkfish roast with crispy foie gras is making a splash at the Christmas Eve dinner

Show summary Hide summary

• Why choose a crispy monkfish roast with foie gras for Christmas 2025?
  • Essential ingredients for a successful monkfish roast with foie gras (4 people)
• Steps to prepare this crispy monkfish roast with foie gras like a pro
  • Tips for a perfectly successful dish and amazed guests
• Gourmet pairings and ideas for a stress-free New Year’s Eve
  • How to choose monkfish for this roast?
  • Can the foie gras crumble be prepared in advance?
  • What to accompany a parsnip purée with?
  • Which wine to choose for this dish?
  • Is it difficult to remove the nerves from monkfish?
• Monkfish Roast with Foie Gras
  • Ingrédients
  • Instructions
  • Video
  • Notes
  • Nutrition Facts

What I love about this monkfish roast with foie gras is the blend between the firm flesh of the fish and the melting, almost luxurious side of the foie gras. Add to that a well-browned parmesan crust, and you’re almost touching happiness. The freshness of the lemon also gives a zing that changes everything. In short, it’s the perfect opportunity to surprise your guests without diving into something too complicated.

I must admit that the first time, I almost hesitated to start because monkfish can be intimidating. But it’s super accessible, and once you make your homemade parsnip purée to accompany it… that’s when you reach new heights. (Little tip: a creamy and smooth side beautifully contrasts the crunchiness, I guarantee you.)

Couscous Royal: The traditional recipe for an exceptional Mediterranean culinary journey

Authentic Tartiflette: Discover the Traditional Failproof Recipe

Besides, this dish has that little extra, ideal for a festive meal: the combination of fresh sage that wraps the roast. It subtly perfumes, remains delicate, but changes everything. And honestly, it’s not hard to make if you carefully follow the steps, even if you’re racing against the clock to prepare for New Year’s Eve.

Oh, and for wine lovers, I discovered that a white Jura like Domaine Labet “Les Varrons” perfectly complements everything, with its oxidative notes. You’ll see, it’s truly the pairing that enhances this dish without overpowering it. A find I wanted to share for a stress-free New Year’s Eve success.

Why choose a crispy monkfish roast with foie gras for Christmas 2025?

Forgetting the turkey is often because we want to break the routine. And honestly, monkfish is a noble fish, not highlighted enough, but perfect for roast cooking. Its flesh is firm yet delicate, perfect to carry strong flavors like foie gras.

The foie gras here is not just a simple side: it’s transformed into a crumble with parmesan, which gives it that crispy-soft side we never get tired of. And then the lemon, zest and juice, comes to enhance the whole while bringing freshness, a real little boost.

Fresh sage adds a very fine aromatic dimension, not at all overwhelming, but which gives that slightly rustic and warm “festive taste.” The texture combination is crazy: crunchy, soft, melting. My homemade parsnip purée acts as a balm and perfectly balances the dish’s richness.

And I tell you, for a New Year’s Eve meal, it changes everything. It’s festive without being heavy. Original without being stressful. Perfect for those who want something impressive but don’t want to spend three days in the kitchen. (If you’ve never cooked monkfish, now’s the time to try the adventure, check out these recipe ideas, it’s a goldmine.)

Essential ingredients for a successful monkfish roast with foie gras (4 people)

• 🐟 1.2 kg monkfish tail, deboned (it’s annoying but worth it)
• 🧀 50 g flour
• 🧀 50 g grated parmesan
• 🍽️ 50 g semi-cooked foie gras in small pieces
• 🍋 Zests and a splash of juice from 1 organic lemon
• 🌿 1 bunch of fresh sage
• 🥔 For the purée: 1 kg parsnips
• 🧈 60 g butter
• 🥄 60 g thick crème fraîche

That’s your base, but you can always adjust according to your tastes or desires. Personally, I like to put a bit more parmesan; it’s my guilty pleasure. And also, don’t watch the precision of the lemon too much, sometimes I put a bit more or less, depending on my mood.

Steps to prepare this crispy monkfish roast with foie gras like a pro

So, I always start with the purée. Peel, slice the parsnips (it’s a bit sticky, so don’t hesitate to get some help). Boil them in salted water for a good half hour. The hardest part is waiting, but it’s worth it.

Then, mash it all with a potato masher, add butter and cream, salt, pepper. For me, it’s tasting and adjusting time, because frankly, failed purée is a guaranteed flop!

For the crumble, mix flour, parmesan and foie gras (very important that it’s in small pieces). I have a little habit: I do it with my fingertips, it’s like a game and the result is much nicer than mixing with a spoon.

The nicest part is preparing the monkfish: remove the central bone (the most annoying task, but hold on), salt, pepper, spread the lemon and shape a roast by joining the two fillets. Then, wrap everything with fresh sage leaves, tie it, cover with the crumble.

Last step, bake for 20 minutes at 160°C. You should see the crumble browning, but the flesh must remain tender. I admit sometimes I forget to put parchment paper underneath, result: a major cleanup… (But hey, we learn from our mistakes!)

Tips for a perfectly successful dish and amazed guests

Cooking times are essential. Too long and the monkfish becomes dry quite quickly, too short and the foie gras doesn’t melt enough. I’m at exactly 20 minutes and it’s perfect, but keep an eye on your oven, it really depends.

For the purée, don’t skip the butter and cream. It’s what makes the whole difference with a slightly bland purée. Sometimes, I prepare it ahead and warm it gently with a bit of milk; it keeps that velvety texture we love.

I like to prepare the crumble just before cooking to keep the crunchy side. If you have a bit of time, let it rest in the fridge, it hardens a bit and brings a great contrast of textures.

Finally, the choice of fresh sage (not dried) is crucial. It perfumes, but does not overpower. And if you’re like me, who loves lemon, don’t hesitate to enhance the zest; you’ll get an incredible freshness explosion.

Gourmet pairings and ideas for a stress-free New Year’s Eve

I really recommend pairing this monkfish roast with a characterful white wine, dry and oxidative like this Jura white Domaine Labet “Les Varrons.” This type of wine perfectly supports the richness of foie gras without crushing the delicacy of the fish.

And if you want to finish beautifully, I often lean towards light desserts because with such a rich dish, lightness feels good. You can take a look at these ideas for appetizers to make the day before to decompress on D-day, it really helps.

For a full menu, you can also vary with surprising fish recipes, like the ones found on la Boutique des Chefs. It’s inspiring and totally refreshes the classic Christmas pork roast.

Oh, and if you want to take a bit of risk with your foie, check out the easy recipe for pan-fried monkfish liver which is a little gem. I love this land-sea combination to impress without stressing.

How to choose monkfish for this roast?

Prefer a fresh monkfish tail, tight and bright white for optimal cooking and melting flesh.

Can the foie gras crumble be prepared in advance?

Yes, you can prepare the crumble a bit in advance and keep it in the fridge, but it’s recommended to add it right before cooking to keep the crunch.

What to accompany a parsnip purée with?

Parsnip purée is already quite soft and creamy. For a festive meal, it works very well with sautéed green vegetables or mushrooms.

Which wine to choose for this dish?

A dry and oxidative white wine like a Jura white, notably Domaine Labet “Les Varrons,” perfectly highlights the flavors of the dish.

Is it difficult to remove the nerves from monkfish?

At first it can be intimidating, but with a bit of patience and following the method, removing the central bone becomes very easy, and it transforms the recipe.