Medallions Of Monkfish Recipes

GRILLED OR ROASTED MONKFISH WITH BLACK OLIVE SAUCE AND LEMON MASH

Steps:

• In a pestle and mortar or Flavour Shaker, smash up 2 teaspoons of salt with the lemon zest and rosemary and rub this all over the fish fillets. Put the fillets in a dish in the fridge and let them sit there for an hour.
• Now make your black olive sauce by mixing all the ingredients except the vinegar together. You want the sauce to have the consistency of a coarse salsa. Then carefully balance the flavours with the vinegar to taste.
• If you're roasting your monkfish, preheat your oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7 just before the fish comes out of the fridge. Pat the fish dry with some kitchen paper and then pat it with a little olive oil.
• Peel and halve your potatoes. Put them into a pot of salted, boiling water and cook until tender. Then drain and mash up with 6 tablespoons of olive oil and a good swig of milk. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. If you want to get your mash really smooth and creamy you can use a spatula to push the potato through a sieve once or twice. It doesn't make it taste any better but it will make it silky smooth, shiny and lovely. Just depends if you can be bothered, really. If it needs thinning with a little extra milk, feel free.
• To roast the monkfish, heat a large ovenproof frying pan, add a splash of olive oil and fry the fillets in the pan for 2 minutes. Then turn them over and put the pan in your preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.
• To grill, place the the butterflied fillets on a hot griddle pan and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness. Whichever way you cook it serve the fish and the juices with a good dollop of the mashed potato, the black olive sauce and a little rocket dressed with the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Really, really good.

BACON-WRAPPED MONKFISH

Steps:

• Lay 1 monkfish tail fillet on a board, sprinkle with thyme leaves and season. Lay the other fillet on top with tapering tip in the opposite direction, so each end has one thick and one thin end butted together.
• Lay the bacon on a board, slightly overlapping and put the monkfish in the centre. Wrap the fish in the rashers so that it holds together quite firmly.
• Heat the grill for 3-5 mins. Line the grill pan, lay the monkfish on it, with the bacon joins underneath.
• Grill for about 7-10 mins until the bacon starts to crisp, then carefully turn over and cook for another 7-10 mins. At the same time, grill the tomato halves. As soon as the monkfish feels firm when pressed on top, remove and leave to stand for 5 mins. Save any pan juices from the paper and drizzle into the vinaigrette. Cut the monkfish into medallions, slightly on the diagonal. Dress the watercress salad with the vinaigrette and juices and divide between four plates. Place monkfish on top, season with pepper and serve tomatoes alongside. Nice with baby new potatoes.

MEDALLIONS OF MONKFISH

Steps:

• Place raisins in a bowl, add water and allow to soak for 30 minutes. Lightly toast nuts and set aside.
• Trim monkfish of any membrane and discolored spots and slice into medallions about 1/2 inch thick. Dust medallions lightly with flour.
• Heat corn oil in a large skillet. Fry fish over medium-high heat until just golden, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Drain on absorbent paper and season lightly with salt.
• In a clean skillet, heat olive oil. Saute onions over medium heat until golden. Add rosemary, bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in vinegar, wine and stock. Simmer for 10 minutes, until liquid remaining in pan just moistens onions. Drain raisins and add them along with nuts, lemon peel and sugar. Simmer briefly, then remove bay leaves.
• Arrange a layer of half the monkfish in a serving dish and spread half the onion mixture over fish. Repeat with another layer of fish and then the remaining onions. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.

MEDALLIONS OF MONKFISH WITH LENTILS

Steps:

• Place the lentils in a bowl, cover with water to a depth of one inch above the lentils and allow to soak for one hour. Drain, rinse twice and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
• Heat the bacon in a heavy saucepan. Add the onion, carrot and celery and saute until tender. Stir in the garlic. Add the lentils and chicken stock. Tie the clove, thyme and bay leaf together with a piece of string and add the bunch. Bring to a simmer. Cover and place in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are just tender. All the liquid will not have been absorbed. Remove the bundle of herbs and set the lentils aside. The recipe can be prepared in advance up until this point.
• Cut the monkfish into medallions about one-inch-thick. You should have 12 to 15 medallions. Season with salt and pepper.
• Shortly before serving, reheat the lentils and beat in the butter a bit at a time. Season with lemon juice, mustard and salt and pepper to taste.
• Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet. Cook the medallions over medium-low heat for about three minutes on each side, until they are just cooked through.
• Spoon some of the lentils in the center of each of four or five warmed plates. Arrange the medallions of fish on them and spoon more of the sauce from the lentils around them. Garnish with parsley and serve.

MONKFISH MEDALLIONS WITH TOMATO AND LEMON

Steps:

• Season the monkfish medallions with 1/2 teaspoon thyme, salt and pepper.
• In a small heavy skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the butter over moderate-high heat until the foam subsides and in it sauté the monkfish medallions, turning once, for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from the heat and tent with foil to keep warm.
• In the skillet add the remaining butter and cook the garlic over moderate-low heat, stirring, and add the tomato, lemon juice, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon thyme and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, if desired.
• Stir in any juices that have accumulated around the medallions, the parsley, salt and pepper to taste.
• Arrange the medallions on heated plates and spoon over the sauce.