There’s a place at The Block at Orange that made really good monkfish. Grilled, I think, and it tasted very like lobster. I’ve tried a few times to make good monkfish, but it’s never been as good. Can someone help me out?
I’m thinking: Monkfish, garlic, salt, and a cast-iron skillet. And melted butter.
In true Doper fashion, I will use this opportunity to boast of my extensive worldwide travels to say that one of the best 5 meals I have ever eaten in my life was grilled monkfish in a little nondescript corner wine bar somewhere in Barcelona.
I can’t begin to describe how simply it was prepared, (I think it was grilled in olive oil, with possibly a hint of garlic) yet how absolutely sublime it tasted. It is something I will remember fondly for the rest of my life.
In the year or so (cumulative) I have spent traveling around Europe, this was by far the best single meal I had anywhere.
With a couple of beers, it was still under $15 bucks, but if I went back to Barcelona tomorrow, I don’t think I would have a prayer of finding the spot again…
Clarification: When I say ‘grilled’, I mean firing up the charcoal barbie and cooking on the grille (grate).
In this case, I’d like to cook it on the stovetop. If I’m following you, are you suggesting I heat some olive oil in the pan (NB: I didn’t mention it, but I was planning on some California Olive Ranch olive oil – Thanks, Shayna! 
), adding some minced garlic for a few minutes, and then searing the fish (with a bit of kosher salt) over high heat?
If you do it that way round the garlic will burn and become bitter. Of course that may be what you want, but I wouldn’t.
Generally I tend to roast monkfish in a very hot oven with olive oil, garlic and rosemary, if I’m making it indoors. Don’t let it get dry.
Forgot about that. Maybe salted a little and seared in olive oil, and put the garlic in the butter?
I make it in foil - lay out a layer of julienne leek, celery and carrot, lay the slab of monkfish with the dark flesh removed [it is very oily and can have a rank taste, you want only the white meat. Good time to remove any patches of skin as well] then a few tiny sprigs of thyme, thin slices of lemon, then about 1 tsp butter. Sometimes I might add a few tbsp of white wine if I have it, or a dash of chicken broth, or just plain lemon juice. Seal up the foil bundle and bake as usual. It doesn’t need much in the way of butter but NEVER use margarine, that shit is nasty. Use olive oil if you like.
I have had a lovely rich cream based chowder of monkfish, it was excellent - but I can’t eat something that rich very often.
Not at all what the OP asked for, but wanted to chime in and recommend this monkfish preparation from The Working Stiff’s Cookbook,, which the ex-GF used to make. It was quick and easy, and tasted great.
We had Cajun salmon last night.
I’ve never cooked monkfish, but thanks to a recent post in the sardine thread I ran across this recipe for a Gigot of Monkfish Romarin with Anchovies
I suppose because of the denseness and the thickness of the monkfish classically it is cooked whole in the oven as a gigot (roast), I think it would be hard to cook correctly all at once on the stovetop without a transfer to the oven to cook through but I guess it depends if you are going to cook medallions or fillets or the whole fish. How will the fish be butchered? One could use garlic flavored or infused oil or butter instead of actual garlic pieces if you wanted a nice garlic flavor. I’d sear it in filet or medallion pieces with some OO and garlic butter on the stovetop in an iron skillet, add a bit of white wine, and maybe a dash of stock and finish it in a high oven for a few minutes (done to touch and rebound).
I’m thinking I might treat it very much like a lobster tail when preparing.
Actually, I bet the best way to do a medallion or filjet, it would be in a small and shallow earthenware cazuela Spanish tapas style. Basically heat the crock over a flattop griddle add a copious amount of olive oil, throw in some coarsely crushed and chopped garlic add the salted and peppered filet add a dash of white wine and lemon juice and place in a very high oven to finish… the filet and garlic should be veritably swimming and protected/insulated in the oil.
I bought a couple of filets today, and I think I’ll cook them Sunday. How’s this for a plan?
Salt and sear the fillets in olive oil.
Put the fillets in a foil packet with melted butter and some minced garlic.
Bake in a 375ºF oven for [?] minutes.
Serve with whipped potatoes.
Sort of taking ideas from everyone, here. Comments? Other recipes?
Now that it’s been a while since the Cajun salmon, Cajun monkfish sounds good. Roomie likes the rub I make, and I have some in a jar in the cupboard. I’m thinking I can apply the rub and then sear the fish, finishing it in the oven with butter.
That sounds good. You could actually finish it in the oven in the same skillet you seared it on as well, but I would do higher oven heat for a reduced amount of time (so it doesn’t dry out).
I would then put the fish filet on a couple paper towels while I deglazed that very same skillet on the stove with white wine and sauce the fish with that.
I do the Cajun salmon in the same skillet I fry it in. (NB: Cut the salmon into 2" squares – or don’t. Press into Cajun seasoning. Fry in some olive oil, just below the smoking point, meat-side down for four minutes or less. Turn and fry for two minutes. Transfer to oven for up to seven minutes. Be careful not to overcook. All times approximate and based on thickness.)
Since I have two monkfish fillets, maybe I’ll do one Cajun and one with butter. Roomie and I can have half of each and decide which we like better.
They’re a blessing. And a curse.
(Sorry. Couldn’t resist.)
Well Johnny, how did it turn out?
Turned out OK. But I prefer the stronger taste of salmon. I liked the Cajun better than the other. Roomie thought the texture was weird, but she said it was good.
I remember when monkfish was being sold as “poor man’s lobster”. Did it taste anything like lobster to you?
I never thought it tasted like lobster, just had the more solid texture. It makes a fantastic addition to bouillabase or chowders. I normally make cod chowder because the grocery near me normally never has monkfish, but I really do prefer monkfish for chowder.
Each time I’ve made it, that’s what I was shooting for. The fish I had at Market Broiler did taste a bit like lobster. I haven’t been able to duplicate it.
Incidentally, Pike Place Fish Market no longer carries monkfish because they say it isn’t sustainable. (Or catching it results in too much by-catch, or something.) So they no longer have the monkfish with the string on its mouth that they used to scare people. I got the fish from the fishmonger next to Uli’s. (That place has really good ‘salmon crack’ – the teriyaki salmon jerky.)