Monkfish is sometimes referred to as the 'poor man's lobster' and it is easy to see why when you taste it. Packed with protein, this meaty fish is a great option if you want to add more seafood to your diet. This recipe, courtesy of Bord Bia, introduces spicy Asian flavours for a great family meal.
Check with your fishmonger that he/she has removed the membrane from the monkfish. It is edible, it’s just a bit tough and will shrink when you are cooking the fish.
Pan seared monkfish with laksa noodles
Serves four. Preparation time: 45 minutes.
Ingredients
4 x 120g monkfish tails cut in half, lengthways
200g medium egg noodles
2 tablesp rapeseed or olive oil
1 tablesp butter
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 large red pepper, sliced
3 scallions, trimmed and sliced into 3cm lengths
100g bean sprouts
400ml low fat coconut milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lime
Coriander to sprinkle over
Lime wedges
For the laksa paste
1 medium red chilli, deseeded and chopped
1 tablesp fish sauce
4 shallots, peeled
2 stems of lemon grass, trimmed, outer layer removed, stems chopped
Zest and juice of half a lemon
3cm piece root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
0.5 tablesp turmeric
0.5 teasp brown sugar
To serve: Salad of shredded carrots, courgettes, spinach, red onion, red chilli, and coriander dressed with a little olive oil and a squeeze of lime.
Directions
Prepare the noodles as per packet instructions.
To make the laksa paste: Place all the paste ingredients into a blender or the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth.
To cook the monkfish: Heat a little oil in a large pan on a medium high heat, then add half the butter. Season the pieces of fish then add four of them to the pan. Cook until golden brown on one side, then gently turn the fish over and cook on the other side. This will take about eight to 10 minutes in total. Remove from the pan and keep warm while you cook the rest of the monkfish. You will know they are cooked when they lose their translucent or raw appearance. Keep warm while you cook the vegetables and make the sauce.
To cook the vegetables: Rinse the pan and add a little oil. Then stir-fry the pepper and scallions. After two minutes add the garlic and bean sprouts. Cook for another minute then remove from the pan.
To cook the laksa paste: To the same pan add a little oil and the laksa paste. Stir for a minute then add the coconut milk and cook until the coconut milk thickens – three to five minutes. Add the vegetables to the pan, stir gently through the sauce. Taste and season. Cook for one or two minutes to heat the vegetables. Just before serving stir through the juice of one lime.
To serve: Divide the noodles among four bowls. Serve two pieces of fish per person and spoon over the vegetables and sauce. Sprinkle over some coriander leaves and serve with some lime wedges on the side.
Nutritional analysis per serving: Energy 591kcal, protein 37g, fat 29g (14.3g saturated ), iron 2mg, carbohydrate 41g.
