Olive Roasted 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.

ROASTED MONKFISH WITH ROUILLE

Steps:

• To make the rouille, in a small saucepan, bring the wine to a simmer and reduce it by half. Set aside. In a food processor, combine the roasted pepper, Tabasco, potato, garlic, salt and pepper and process until almost smooth. Do not over process or the potato will become gummy. Add the olive oil and vinegar in a thin stream while the machine is running, then transfer the mixture to a bowl. Just before serving, heat the reduced wine slightly and beat it into the rouille, drop by drop, to loosen it. Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the whole potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Drain well, cut in half, and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat a heavy 12 inch skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium high heat and add half the olive oil. Sear the onion slices until almost charred, pressing them down with the back of a spatula and turning to the other side when blackened.
• Separate the onions into rings and add the garlic and rosemary. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Transfer the vegetables to a plate and wipe the pan with a paper towel. Add the remaining olive oil and, again over medium high heat, lightly season and then sear the monkfish tails, turning with tongs to be sure all sides brown evenly. Return the onion mixture to the skillet around the fish and add the potatoes. Season generously with salt and pepper. The fish should not be crowded or it will steam rather than roast. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for about 15 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. Serve the rouille on the side.

OVEN ROASTED MONKFISH WITH CLAMS AND MERGUEZ SAUSAGE

Steps:

• For the monkfish: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Season the monkfish with salt and pepper to taste. Sear on both sides until lightly golden brown. Place the fish in a small roasting pan and roast in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes.
• For the potatoes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss potatoes in olive oil in season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until just cooked through and lightly golden brown. .
• For the sausage: Preheat grill or grill pan. Grill the sausage until golden brown and cooked through. Let rest and cut into 1/2-inch slices.
• For the clam broth: Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add wine and cook until reduced. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add clams, cover the pot and cook until the clams open, remove the clams with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Cook the broth until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the butter, add the scallions and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Assemble: Cut the roasted monkfish into 4 pieces. Place a small amount of spinach in each bowl. Place a piece of monkfish on top of spinach and place 3 potatoes, 3 pieces of merguez and 3 clams around the edge. Ladle broth over and garnish with fresh parsley.

MONKFISH ROASTED WITH HERBS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Tie the monkfish fillets with butcher's twine at 2-inch intervals. Season with salt and pepper.
• Line the bottom of an earthenware or other low-sided baking dish with thyme and rosemary sprigs. Tuck bay leaves here and there, if using. Lay the fish on top of the herbs and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Scatter the lemon slices and whole olives over fish. Set aside for 30 minutes to marinate. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
• Meanwhile, make the olive paste: Put pitted black olives, garlic and 1/4 cup olive oil in a small food processor and pulse to a rough paste. (Alternatively, chop olives finely with a knife and stir together with garlic and oil.)
• Roast fish, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned on top and firm to the touch. Check with a paring knife to be sure fish is cooked through. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Snip twine with scissors and remove from fish. Cut fish into 4 portions and spoon some of the roasted lemon slices and whole olives over the top. Dab each piece with a teaspoon of olive paste, or pass olive paste separately.

ROASTED MONKFISH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the monkfish, shaking the pan as you add the fish to prevent sticking. Sear the fish on one side until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the oven and roast until opaque and firm to the touch, about 8 minutes.
• Transfer the fish to a warm plate and set aside. Place the skillet over medium heat and add the wine or vermouth and 1/4 cup water, scraping the browned bits from the pan. Add the Chunky Cipolline Tomato Compote to the skillet and cook until heated through.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the compote among 4 dinner plates, arrange a piece of the monkfish over the compote, and serve.

OLIVE-ROASTED MONKFISH

Steps:

• Put the olives, honey, and coffee in a blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Divide the puree into two parts, one for brushing the fish and the other for sauce.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a roasting rack on top. Put the monkfish tails on the rack. Using a pastry brush, evenly coat the monkfish with half of the olive mixture designated for coating the fish. Refrigerate for 20 minutes so the puree will adhere to the fish. After 20 minutes, brush the monkfish tails with the puree again and return them to the refrigerator for another 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
• Remove the fish from the refrigerator and brush again with the olive puree. Roast the fish for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and roast for 10 more minutes. Turn off the oven without opening the door and let the fish rest for 10 minutes. Remove the fish from the oven and let it rest for 5 more minutes.
• While the fish is resting, heat the reserved half of the olive puree in a small pot over medium-low heat. Stir frequently so it does not stick to the pot.
• Working with one tail at a time, cut the meat off either side of the central bone. Slice each monkfish loin into medallions.
• To serve, put a pool of sauce on each of 4 plates and arrange the monkfish slices on top. Sprinkle with the scallions.

ROASTED MONKFISH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Season fish with salt and pepper.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Over high heat, cook one side of the fish until golden brown, about 1 minute. Turn, and brown the second side. Add carrot, onion, garlic, wine and fish broth, and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer the contents of the skillet to an oven-proof baking dish, and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Roast for 5 minutes. Remove the fish to a serving platter and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepan, boil the cooking liquid and vegetables over high heat until reduced by half. Stir in the remaining olive oil to bind the sauce.
• Spoon the sauce and vegetables over the fish, and serve with mashed potatoes.