Sunday, March 4, 2012

Quick Monkfish


We were scheduled to have a guest star today, but things didn't go quite as planned, so I thought I'd share my quick and easy Monkfish lunch.

Monkfish is really ugly to look at.  Sorry, but it's true. 

It's known as the poor man's lobster, but I've played around and made it the poor man's scallops.  It's becoming more popular and the price has certainly gone up in my grocery store, so I'm not convinced that we can call it the poor man's anything anymore.  But it's still a tasty fish that, unlike many others, holds up very well and doesn't flake when it's cooked 

I was wondering what I could do with it for a quick lunch, so I kept it simple and reached for garlic.  The result was delicious, and amazingly fast.  Note that I cooked this over low heat.  If you accidentally use a medium setting, the fish will cook much faster, so time it accordingly.  Swapping the oil for butter would work very well.  And if you're a lemon lover, squeeze a bit on top of it in the pan!



Monkfish Medallions


1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 piece Monkfish
2-3 cloves of garlic
salt to taste

Heat a skillet over medium-low temperature.  Add the olive oil and minced garlic.  Let the garlic infuse the oil for a couple of minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the Monkfish into round medallions about 1 1/2 inches in width.  Add them to the skillet and place a lid on top.  Cook about 4-5 minutes and flip the Monkfish.  Cover again and cook the other side about 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through but not tough.

Remove the Monkfish to a plate, scoop out some of the garlic and place on top of the fish.  Sprinkle with salt to taste.

Makes 2-3 servings.








10 comments:

  1. Sigh. I love monkfish, but for some reason it's hard to find around here (did I mention I live 20 miles from the Atlantic Ocean?). I once gleefully hauled some home from a small town in Rhode Island, and the supermarket (!) in Skibbereen, Co. Cork, had a nice selection--but expensive!

    Has everybody seen the Julia Child episode where she slings around a large whole monkfish?

    ReplyDelete
  2. LOL! That sounds like Julia!

    Sheila, I don't understand the fish business at all. I'm not on the coast, but I live in a coastal state, so you'd think we would have fresh fish from Virginia. Most of our fish comes from overseas, another thing I don't quite understand. My favorite grocer carries monkfish regularly, but it seems like 50% or more of their fish selection is farm raised.

    I'm sighing with you!

    ~ Krista

    ReplyDelete
  3. I really enjoy all white fish. This is truly the ugliest of them all, but so delicious. What an easy recipe! Thanks, Krista, for sharing and for stepping for our "guest" today. :)

    Avery

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like most white fish, too. Depends on how it's prepared, of course! ; )

      ~ Krista

      Delete
  4. I didn't know about the ugliness of monkfish and had to google an image. Yes indeed, monkfish are ugly. I've never eaten monkfish, either, but if it tastes anything like lobster I know I'd like it. Now I am in the mood for fish - or lobster!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Poor monkfish! But they are good. You'll have to try it sometime. I still prefer lobster, but I rarely fix that at home.

      ~ Krista

      Delete
  5. I love monkfish but they never have it in our grocery store. They told me I would have to order it especially! I read a great recipe for halibut and thought I would try it only to discover that halibut is $22/lb. in our market. Yikes! We do have walleye which is wonderful...especially potato encrusted walleye.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How odd that they would have to special order it. I wonder why it shows up at my Kroger.

      Peg, I hope you post that potato encrusted walleye recipe sometime. It sounds terrific!

      ~ Krista

      Delete
  6. Great job with the monkfish. It's not an easy fish to cook in my opinion. Shame more people don't appreciate it though.
    Sam

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sam! It's simple and quick, but monkfish doesn't need a lot to dress it up. I really love it in fish soup. It holds up so nicely.

      ~ Krista

      Delete