Monkfish
I have some huge Monkfish fillets in the freezer. I want to cook one tomorrow for dinner but it's always a pain to get the membrane off them. Any tips/tricks for prep work. Or any great Monkfish recipes. Was thinking about roasting it at about 400 degrees with white wine and butter until just begins to flake.
You should be able to pull the membrane off when the fish is 1/2 thawed and the meat still a bit frozen hard. Start with a sharp knife then pull. If that is not working for you, turn the fish upside down (membrane on cutting board) and slide a sharp carving knife along it in a sawing motion.
Good idea to use high heat for a quick bake that will leave it soft, flaky, and "wet".
I really enjoy monkfish as well, sometimes I wrap it in proschuitto!
It is VERY important to let it rest after cooking for at least 5 minutes, that way the juices evenly distribute through out the Fish and not all over the cutting board, leaving you with dry fish. I usually always serve it with a puree of some sort. Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Puree, or Spicy Carrot Puree, the options are limitless. That way the puree doubles as a Veggie and sauce, adds great flavor to the fish and makes for a beautiful plate presentation!
You can cut it into serving sized pieces and cook en papilotte (individual parchment packets with herbs) or,easy, slice it into scallops and sear in brown butter. It's a fairly sturdy fish so you can use it in "stews" like cioppino or bouillabaise.
Going to try Monkfish medallions pan fried in butter with some pasta with capers and maybe some artichoke hearts. Any leftover portions of uncooked fish will go into a fish chowder. Wish me luck :-)
