Tag Archives: monkfish

Monkfish & Chorizo Kebabs

Posted on by

Monkfish & Chorizo Kebabs With Roast Charlotte Potatoes

Monkfish is superb on the grill,which ever way you choose to prepare it. It holds up to stong flavours well so you can use BBQ rubs or powerful spices with it and it is meaty enough to sear at a hight temperature to develop a lovely crust. The monkfish tails are great cooked whole on the bone but today I’ve gone for cutting into bite size chunks.

A classic partner for monkfish is chorizo. The spicy, paprika flavour from the chorizo matches the monkfish superbly. This recipe also adds red onions and cherry tomatoes giving a real sweet, spicy and juicy flavour-packed skewer.

Monkfish Tails From Rockfish and Chorizo From The Bath Pig

To serve two people you’ll need:

  • 2 large monkfish tails or 4 small tails – (ask your fishmonger to filet them ) cut into bite size chunks
  • 75-100g Bath Pig chorizo, sliced into 5mm wheels
  • 10-15 cherry tomatoes
  • half a red onion
  • juice of half a lemon
  • small handful of chopped fresh parsley

Skewers Ready For The Grill

Here’s how to put it together…

  1. Soak the skewers in water for a bout 30 mins to help stop the ends from burning
  2. Thread the monkfish onto the skewers alternating each chunk with chorizo, red onion or a tomato
  3. Drizzle with a good olive oil and season generously with salt and freshly gournd black pepper
  4. Set your grill up to medium/hot and when it has reached the desired temperature, wipe over with sunflower oil (use a piece of scrunched up kitchen roll, dipped in the oil and held with BBQ tongs to do this)
  5. Lay the skewers down and cook for around 4 mins each side until the fish stars to get sear marks, the onions soften and the cherry toms shrink down
  6. Squeeze over the lemon juice and then once plated, sprinkle over the parsely

I served with some charlotte potatoes cut into small chunks and roasted in a hot oven with rosemary, garlic and some more red onion. You could do this on a baking tray over the coals if you like, or even wrap everything in 2 layers of foils and place directly on the grill, giving a shake every 15 mins. The crispy burnt bits are the best bits.

 

Cajun Monkfish Tail With Roast New Potatoes

Posted on by

cajun monkfish tail with roasted new potatoes

Monkfish has to be one of the best fish to lay on your grill. It’s chunky, meaty, solid and holds together beautifully.

It has a very subtle, un-fishy flavour and loves to be jazzed up with marinades, rubs and sauces.

Tonight, I picked up a whole monkfish tail from the good folk at Rockfish on Whiteladies Rd. It cost about £10 for the whole tail and they cleaned it up beautifully for me so it was ready to cook. I asked for it to be kept on the bone as it holds together on the grilll better.

I gave the tail a generous rub with cajun seasoning and left it at room temperature for about half an hour. With the fish on one side I parboiled chunks of new potato and then wrapped them loosely in foil with olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary. This pack went straight on the heat – cook for about 15-20 mins making sure you turn the bag and shake th contents around regularly.

The fish is a doddle – straight on the heat for about 6-7 mins each side. Once you turn it, squeeze half a lime over the top and then do the same just before you serve.

Chilli & Lime Monkfish With Samphire & Mash

Posted on by

Monkfish With Chilli and Lime

Here’s a terrific dish I knocked up last summer. As I’m writing this on a freezing cold Feb day, the samphire season seems a long way off but the monkfish recipe is fantastic at any time of the year. Crank up the chilli and it will blast that chill right out of your bones.

Some fish lend themselves to the hot grill perfectly. Others fall apart just at the thought of one.

Happily, as I love it, monkfish is one of THE best fish to grill in my opinion. It’s firm, meaty texture hold well whilst it’s subtle natural flavour makes a great blank canvas for all sorts of rubs and marinades.

I like to buy a whole tail from the fishmonger and ask him to skin it and cut into three pieces keeping the bone on. From a good fishmonger such as Rockfish in Bristol, this will cost you between £12-£15 for the whole tail so £4-£5 per portion. It’s worth it.

One of my favourite ways to prepare monkfish is to marinade in a simple fresh chilli, lime and olive oil mix for 20 mins or so before cooking. Make plenty as you’ll want to baste the fish throughout cooking to enhance the flavour. Add more chili than you think you’d need – approx one chilli per portion.

To cook 3 portions you’ll need:

  • 3 fresh red chillis
  • 4 limes
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2-3 tbsp thai fish sauce (optional)
  • 1 tbsp sea salt flakes (only if not using fish sauce – both would be too salty)
  • grind of black pepper

You can also add a few other bits if you like – chopped shallots, crushed garlic, sweet chilli sauce, white wine, rice wine vinegar. Play around until you find a combo that suits your taste and be sure to send us your mix so we can try it too!

Place your fish in a big bowl then pour over your mixed ingredients. Allow it to sit for 20 mins or so, but no longer or the lime juice will start to cook the fish and you’ll end up with monk fish cerviche! (not a bad thing in itself, but we are grilling here!!)

Once you’ve set the fish to marinate, set your grill going on a high heat unti lit reaches optimum cooking temp then set the heat down to medium.

Brush the grill lightly with veg oil and then carefully lay down your monkfish pieces. They need to cook for approx 8-10 mins depending on size and you should be looking to turn them about 4-5 times during this period. Each time you turn them, spoon a little more of the leftover marinade over the top. You are looking for a plump, scorched round the edges look that is firm to the touch. As with all fish – careful not to overcook.

I served this with samphire and mash allowing the monkfish to be the star of the plate. My mouth is watering just typing this!!!

Monkfish Tail Cut Into Three Portions With Bone Left In.