SEVERAL MONKFISH RECIPES FOR JANIE

I really appreciate your comments regarding my postings. Thanks for asking for several recipes of monkfish. We usually order our monkfish from the Marisquerías (places where fish is sold) and where they also serve Tapas and a Spanish Menu mainly based on seafood and fish. Here in Puerto Rico we have adopted the Marisquerías with enthusiasm and a lot of convenience. A Tapas bar here in Puerto Rico is frequented not only by Spaniards but also, by everybody looking for a good time and excellent food.

I buy my monkfish at the Marisquería Atlantica and it is brought by airplane from Spain. Puerto Rico’s native fishes are red snapper (Mahi Mahi), tuna, swordfish, kingfish and all kinds of seafood.

I am including several recipes that I hope are to your liking. Maybe you will learn something from me but I know that I will learn a lot from you! Happy cooking!

MONKFISH WITH SAFFRON SAUCE

2 shallots, minced
5 tb unsalted butter
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp chopped parsley
1/2 tsp saffron threads, crumbled
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 lbs monkfish fillets, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the shallots in 2 tb butter in frying pan. Add tomatoes, parsley, saffron threads and white wine. Simmer for 1 minute. Add the monkfish and cook 6 to 7 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and keep warm. Add cream to the pan and bring to a boil. Allow to thicken slightly, then remove from the heat and stir in the remaining butter, cut in pieces. Season with salt and pepper and pour the sauce over the fish. Serve with white rice. Serves 4. This delicious sauce can also be served over halibut or over broiled chicken breasts or veal. It has a bright color and delicious taste.

MONKFISH WITH PINE NUTS
Serves 4-6

3 tb extra virgin olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed in the mortar
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (Cilantrillo)
2 lbs monkfish filets, skinned and sliced
all purpose flour for dredging
paprika to taste
salt and ground pepper to taste
1 tb lime juice
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine

Heat the oil in a skillet ( I use Circulon), sauté the onion, garlic, parsley until the onion is soft. Dredge the monkfish in flour previously mixed with paprika (I use sweet smoked Spanish Paprika) and salt and pepper. Shake the fish to remove the excess seasoned flour. Add the fish to the skillet and sauté for 1 minute. Add the lemon juice, the pine nuts, the stock and the wine and simmer for 3 minutes longer, or until the fish is cooked through. Serve over rice or with Patatas Fritas (Fried potatoes) and a salad. It is delicious and very easy to prepare.

MONKFISH WITH CARROTS AND RAISINS:
Serves 4

2 pounds monkfish, about I inch thick
Salt
Flour for dusting
2 tb olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 small carrot, scraped and sliced
2 tb brandy
2 tb raisins
1 cup fish broth

Sprinkle the fish on both sides with salt and let sit 5 minutes. Dust with flour. In a shallow casserole, heat 1 tb of the oil and sear the fish on both sides. Remove fish to warm platter and wipe clean the casserole. Heat the remaining oil in the casserole and sauté the onion and carrot until they soften. Add the brandy and cook 1 minute. Return the fish to the casserole and add the raisins and fish broth. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 or 12 minutes, or until the fish is done.

Penelope Casas, in her book Delicioso, the Regional Cooking of Spain (1996), mentions that ÄLLIOLI is guaranteed to give a great taste to just about anything that it accompanies, but it is particularly nice with fish.

MONKFISH WITH ALI OLI SAUCE

2 lbs monkfish, cut in 4 portions
Slat and ground pepper
ALLIOLI;
8 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp salt
2 egg yolks or 1/4 cup egg substitute
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup olive oil

Arrange the fish pieces in a shallow, lightly greased baking dish, preferably earthenware. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the garlic and salt in a mortar and mash to a paste. Transfer to a processor, add the egg yolks and lemon juice, and beat a few seconds. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil until a mayonnaise is formed. Spoon some ALIOLI over the fish (save the rest for other purposes), place in a 450 F oven, and bake 10 minutes to each inch of thickness. BUEN PROVECHO!