bass, pollock, wolffish, even catfish. And even more delicate fillets, from cod to bluefish, are suitable.
IT’S BEST to remove the thin membrane clinging to the monkfish before cooking. Just pull and tug on it while cutting through it with a paring knife and it will come off; you don’t have to be too compulsive about this task, but try to get most of it off.
LARGE PIECES of monkfish—those weighing more than a pound—should be split down the middle lengthwise to make two fillets before cooking.
FINALLY, UNLIKE most white-fleshed fish, monkfish requires thorough cooking, to the point where it is opaque and tender throughout. You’ll know it’s done when a thin-bladed knife inserted into the thickest part meets little resistance.
With MINIMAL Effort
| You can mix sliced onions or other root vegetables in with the potatoes, and the results will be delicious, but the juices of the vegetables will reduce the potatoes’ browning; it’s a trade-off, and there’s nothing to be done about it.
| Substitute about 10 sprigs of thyme for the bay leaves; or use about 2 teaspoons fresh (or 1 teaspoon dried) rosemary.
| Other possibilities : 1 tablespoon ground cumin or cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, 3 teaspoons curry powder (sprinkle 1 teaspoon on the fish itself), a few threads of saffron, or 1 tablespoon good, medium-hot paprika.
Roast Fish with
Meat Sauce
TIME: 40 to 50 minutes
MAKES: 4 servings
Back in the old days, when I was a cooking fanatic, I made a wonderful roasted monkfish recipe. The sauce was a reduction that began with meat bones, continued with roasted vegetables, and required four or five steps over a two-day period.
Now, I make the same sauce with pan-roasted vegetables, a simple combination of onion, carrot, and celery, darkly browned in a little bit of butter, and a can of beef stock. It takes a half-hour or less, and although it doesn’t have the richness of my original work of art, no one to whom I served both could tell the difference with certainty.
1 tablespoon butter
1 small carrot, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste, optional
One 13-ounce can beef broth, or 1½ cups meat or chicken stock
1½ to 2 pounds monkfish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 500°F (or its maximum temperature). Put a cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet or roasting pan in the oven while it is heating. Put 1½ teaspoons butter in a small saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high. When the butter is melted, add the carrot and celery and stir; a minute later, add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables brown—be careful not to let them burn—less than 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste if you’re using it, then the broth. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture simmers for about 10 minutes.
Strain the broth, pressing on the vegetables to extract their liquid. Return the broth to medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Boil until reduced by about three-quarters, or until less than ½ cup of thick liquid remains.
Meanwhile, season the fish with salt and pepper. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and pour in the oil; swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the fish and roast for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven andcarefully pour the liquid that has accumulated around the fish into the sauce. Once again, bring the sauce to a boil and reduce until it is thick, syrupy, and about ½ cup in volume. Turn the fish and roast it for another 5 minutes, or until a thin-bladed knife inserted into its thickest part meets little resistance.
Stir the remaining 1½ teaspoons butter into the sauce, then serve the fish with the sauce spooned over it.
WINE
A first-class Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Barbaresco
SERVE WITH
60-Minute Bread or good store-bought bread; Simple Green Salad ; Mashed Potatoes , Crisp Potatoes , or roasted or Lyonnaise
IT’S BEST to remove the thin membrane clinging to the monkfish before cooking. Just pull and tug on it while cutting through it with a paring knife and it will come off; you don’t have to be too compulsive about this task, but try to get most of it off.
LARGE PIECES of monkfish—those weighing more than a pound—should be split down the middle lengthwise to make two fillets before cooking.
FINALLY, UNLIKE most white-fleshed fish, monkfish requires thorough cooking, to the point where it is opaque and tender throughout. You’ll know it’s done when a thin-bladed knife inserted into the thickest part meets little resistance.
With MINIMAL Effort
| You can mix sliced onions or other root vegetables in with the potatoes, and the results will be delicious, but the juices of the vegetables will reduce the potatoes’ browning; it’s a trade-off, and there’s nothing to be done about it.
| Substitute about 10 sprigs of thyme for the bay leaves; or use about 2 teaspoons fresh (or 1 teaspoon dried) rosemary.
| Other possibilities : 1 tablespoon ground cumin or cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, 3 teaspoons curry powder (sprinkle 1 teaspoon on the fish itself), a few threads of saffron, or 1 tablespoon good, medium-hot paprika.
Roast Fish with
Meat Sauce
TIME: 40 to 50 minutes
MAKES: 4 servings
Back in the old days, when I was a cooking fanatic, I made a wonderful roasted monkfish recipe. The sauce was a reduction that began with meat bones, continued with roasted vegetables, and required four or five steps over a two-day period.
Now, I make the same sauce with pan-roasted vegetables, a simple combination of onion, carrot, and celery, darkly browned in a little bit of butter, and a can of beef stock. It takes a half-hour or less, and although it doesn’t have the richness of my original work of art, no one to whom I served both could tell the difference with certainty.
1 tablespoon butter
1 small carrot, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste, optional
One 13-ounce can beef broth, or 1½ cups meat or chicken stock
1½ to 2 pounds monkfish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 500°F (or its maximum temperature). Put a cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet or roasting pan in the oven while it is heating. Put 1½ teaspoons butter in a small saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high. When the butter is melted, add the carrot and celery and stir; a minute later, add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables brown—be careful not to let them burn—less than 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste if you’re using it, then the broth. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture simmers for about 10 minutes.
Strain the broth, pressing on the vegetables to extract their liquid. Return the broth to medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Boil until reduced by about three-quarters, or until less than ½ cup of thick liquid remains.
Meanwhile, season the fish with salt and pepper. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and pour in the oil; swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the fish and roast for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven andcarefully pour the liquid that has accumulated around the fish into the sauce. Once again, bring the sauce to a boil and reduce until it is thick, syrupy, and about ½ cup in volume. Turn the fish and roast it for another 5 minutes, or until a thin-bladed knife inserted into its thickest part meets little resistance.
Stir the remaining 1½ teaspoons butter into the sauce, then serve the fish with the sauce spooned over it.
WINE
A first-class Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Barbaresco
SERVE WITH
60-Minute Bread or good store-bought bread; Simple Green Salad ; Mashed Potatoes , Crisp Potatoes , or roasted or Lyonnaise
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