Stuffed monkfish tails with peppers

October 22, 2009

Monkfish or stargazer has to be one of the ugliest fish around. It has a large head with the eyes on top. However, while ugly, it has a delicate firm white flesh and is sometimes known as poor man’s lobster. A lot of the fish is discarded on cleaning, leaving just the tails.

Monkfish should not be overcooked. It is also not very palatable when undercooked.

For this recipe I top and tail the monkfish tails, sandwiching them together with a stuffing in between. This ensures they are an even thickness and so the thinner ends don’t overcook.

You can vary the stuffing to suit your own taste.

If the monkfish you buy are larger ones, four will be sufficient. Separate each tail into two fillets and proceed as below.

Stuffed monkfish tails with peppers

1 large red pepper
1 large green pepper
1 large brown onion
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs (oregano, thyme – whatever you have)
olive oil
180ml chicken stock
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
8 small monkfish tails
3 slices bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 small chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
salt and pepper
8 slices of prosciutto
olive oil

Cut the peppers into long thin strips, removing the stalk, seeds and any white membrane.
Peel and halve the onions and cut into thin slices. Smash the garlic in a mortar with the salt then blend in the herbs.

Heat a little olive oil in a pan and gently sauté the peppers, onion and garlic mix until they soften. Add the chicken stock and red wine vinegar and simmer for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 220C. Turn the torn bread slices into crumbs in a food processor then add the parsley, chilli and lemon zest and process again briefly, adding a little salt and pepper.

Place two slices of prosciutto on a board then lay a monkfish tail across them. Lightly squeeze a small handful of the bread mixture together and pat it out onto the fish. Lay a second tail on top, this time with the thicker end over the thin end of the bottom fillet. Wrap the loose ends of the prosciutto over the top and tie the fish in three or four places with string to hold everything together.

Continue in this fashion with the remaining fish.

Place the fish on an oiled baking tray, drizzle over some olive oil and cook for 15 minutes or until cooked. Time will depend on the thickness of the tails. Don’t overcook.

Place the cooked peppers on a serving dish with a slotted spoon. Add any cooking juice from the fish to the pan and quickly boil down the liquid until well reduced and syrupy.

Place the fish on the peppers, removing the string. Pour over the reduced pan juices and serve.

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