Monkfish with Cucumber and Mustard
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes, plus 1 hour pressing
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1 small Cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
125ml fish stock or white wine
1 tbsp crème fraîche
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
50g unsalted butter
freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 monkfish tails, each about 200g
25ml Olive oil
Method
1. Mix the cucumber slices with 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Press the cucumber by placing a small plate or lid on the cucumber and weighing it down with a tin or jar of jam. Set aside for 1 hour.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, vinegar and 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.
3. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the cucumber then toss the slices in this sweet and sour mixture.
4. Make the sauce by heating together the fish stock, crème fraiche and mustard in a small pan. Whisk in the butter, piece by piece, until emulsified or blend the stock mixture and butter together in a liquidiser.
Stir in a few drops of lemon juice.
5. Meanwhile, toss the monkfish fillets with 25ml of olive oil. Heat a heavy-based frying pan until hot. Add the monkfish to the pan and fry for a few minutes. Add the remaining olive oil and fry until the fish is just cooked. Add a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the cooked fish.
6. Place the monkfish on 4 warmed serving plates with the cucumber salad and the mustard sauce. Serve at once.
Monkfish Gigot Roast
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
1kg monkfish tail, filleted
small bunch of Rosemary
2 garlic clove, sliced
6 Salted anchovies, halved
4 tbsp Olive oil
half a wine glass of dry white wine
150ml double cream
1 tbsp capers
juice of 1 lemon
pinch of sea salt
Method
1. Set the oven to 200°C/gas 6. Lay the monkfish fillets so that the thick end of each fillet sits against the small end of the next one and tie tightly at 3cm intervals with the string.
2. Next make some incisions randomly in the flesh and insert a few slices of garlic, rosemary and anchovy, leaving the rosemary hanging out - do about 10-12 of these, and then put the remaining herbs, garlic and anchovies into a roasting tray big enough to take the fish.
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Cook the fish on all sides until golden-brown and transfer to the roasting pan.
4. Add a splash of dry white wine and roast in a hot oven for 10-12 minutes.
5. Remove and rest for a further minute or two and allow juices to run. Place the monkfish on your best serving plate.
6. To make the gravy, add cream to the roasting pan and bring to the boil, add the capers and lemon juice, season with a little salt and pour over the fish.
7. Cut a fillet steak sized chunk for everyone, and serve with garlic mashed potatoes and French green beans
Grilled Monkfish with Sweet Chilli Glaze
Ingredients
2 x 170g (6oz) monkfish tail fillets
1 jar of thai original Sweet Chilli Sauce
(Lemon Grass or Garlic are best for this dish)
Serves 2
Method
Preheat the grill
Grill the fish for about 3 minutes. Turn over and grill for 4 minutes. Brush the chilli mix over the fish. Return to the grill for a further 2-3 minutes.
Serve with sweet potato mash and green beans.
