Monkfish in a Ginger & Garlic Crust with Thai Dipping Sauce
I first made the ginger and garlic paste in this recipe as part of a complicated Indian curry dish and subsequently discovered that the paste makes a wonderful coating for fish, chicken or tempura vegetables. It worked particularly well with monkfish which has a great texture for shallow frying and roasting, so I introduced it as a new dish when I opened Packie’s in 1993. The Thai dipping sauce is served cold with the fish and is a fantastically light and versatile sauce. It is best made in large quantities and stored in the fridge for up to 1 month; it can be added to tomato sauce, soups or red peppers to jazz up the dish.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Monkfish:
• 1kg medium thick monkfish, tails trimmed and
bone removed (your fishmonger will supply this way)
• 120g fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 60g garlic cloves, peeled
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil or sunflower oil
• 3 tbsp plain white flour, mixed with ½ tsp sea salt and ½ tsp cracked black pepper
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil or clarified butter, for frying
Thai Dipping Sauce:
• 300ml best-quality red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Method
Thai Dipping Sauce:
To make the Thai dipping sauce, place the vinegar and sugar in a small stainless steel saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer until the vinegar has reduced by half. Add the garlic and chilli then remove from the heat. Set aside to cool.
Monkfish:
Preheat the oven to fan 200°C / fan 400°F / gas mark 7.
Cut the monkfish into rounds/medallions (approximately 5-7cm wide and 2.5-4cm thick) and pat dry thoroughly with kitchen paper. In a food processor, blitz the ginger and garlic until finely chopped, then add 1-2 tbsp of oil to form a smooth paste.
Coat the fish in the garlic ginger paste, then dip in the seasoned flour to lightly dust. It is important the fish is dry to allow the paste to stick and ensure it is only lightly dusted in the flour.
Heat an ovenproof frying pan with the sunflower oil or clarified butter over a high heat until it reaches smoking point. Shallow fry the monkfish for 3 minutes or until golden brown either side. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 3-5 minutes, or until cooked depending on the thickness.
Serve the monkfish with a small dish of Thai dipping sauce on the plate with freshly snipped coriander over it, lime wedges and a sprig of coriander to garnish. Serve with roast fennel, purple sprouting broccoli, roast vegetables or roast potato wedges.