Recipe - Warm Monkfish Paillard With Beer-Glazed Endive And Basil Oil

8 ounce Monkfish; bones, skin
removed
2 tablespoon Extravirgin olive oil
2 tablespoon Virgin olive oil; plus
One half cup Virgin olive oil
4 lg Belgian endive ; (abt 3/4
lb), halved
; lengthwise
1 cup Pilsner beer
3 tablespoon Sugar
1 cup Basil leaves ; (loosely
packed)
Salt; to taste
Freshlyground black pepper;
to taste
1 Lemon in long pieces; zest
of

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring 6 cups water to boil.

Slice three 3/4inch pieces of monkfish and place all three between oiled
pieces of aluminum foil. Lightly pound with flat side of side of cleaver or
large knife until about 1/32inch thick and three pieces have more or less
joined together. Flip "paillard" out onto center of cool plate and set
aside. Continue process with remainder of fish to yield four plates with
6inch rounds of thin fish in the center.

In a 12inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil over medium heat.
Cook eight pieces of endive cutside down until golden brown (about 5 to 7
minutes). Add beer and sprinkle with sugar and bake 10 minutes in 400
degree oven. Remove from oven and allow to cool in liquid about 10 minutes.

Make ice bath with one cup ice cubes and two cups water. Plunge basil
leaves in boiling water and cook 20 seconds. Remove from boiling water,
drain and plunge into ice bath. When cool, drain basil leaves and press out
excess water. Blend basil leaves and One half cup virgin olive oil until smooth
and bright green. Set aside.

Remove cooked endive from liquid and drain. Place four plates with
paillards in 400 degree oven for 30 seconds to one minute or until fish has
just whitened but has not yet begun to shrivel at the edges. Remove from
oven and place 2 pieces of endive in center of plate on top of fish.
Drizzle with 2 tablespoons basil oil, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle
with lemon zest and serve.

This recipe yields 4 antipasto