Monkfish satay

Not yet rated

The famously meaty, firm texture of monkfish is perfectly suited to being cooked on a barbecue, being able to withstand the intense heat without falling apart. In this fantastic monkfish recipe Nathan Outlaw marinates chunks of the fish in a zesty marinade before grilling them until lightly charred and serving the skewers with a creamy peanut satay sauce – the perfect adaptation of a Thai classic for pescetarians to enjoy. To make this fish starter a main course, scale up the recipe and serve with plain rice and a leafy salad.

First published in 2016

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Monkfish

  • 600g of monkfish, trimmed of sinew and skin, cut into 20–25 even chunks

Marinade

Peanut satay sauce

To serve

  • 1 lime, cut into quarters

Equipment

  • Pestle and mortar

Method

1
Begin by preparing the marinade. Toast the coriander seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder, grind the seeds to a powder
2
Add the garlic, ginger and lemongrass to the coriander seeds and grind again, then transfer to a bowl and add the oil, soy sauce, fish sauce and lime zest. Mix well until fully combined
3
Lay the monkfish chunks on a tray and evenly coat in the marinade. Cover the tray with cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour. If you are barbecuing, light your barbecue 30 minutes before you intend to cook
  • 600g of monkfish, trimmed of sinew and skin, cut into 20–25 even chunks
4
Meanwhile, make the satay sauce. Heat a medium pan over a medium heat, then add the oil. When it is hot, add the shallots, garlic and 
chillies and sweat for 3 minutes. Stir in the sugar and cook for a further
 3 minutes, then add the fish sauce and coconut milk
5
Bring to the boil and simmer for a 2 minutes. Stir in the peanuts and the reserved lime juice, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm (or allow to cool if preparing ahead and reheat to serve)
6
When the monkfish is ready, thread 4–5 chunks onto each skewers. Carefully lay the monkfish onto the barbecue (or hot griddle pan if preferred) and cook for 2 minutes on each side
7
Serve the monkfish on or off the skewers with lime wedges and the peanut sauce in a bowl on the side
  • 1 lime, cut into quarters

Nathan Outlaw cooks with understated brilliance and passionate respect for primary ingredients.

Get in touch

Please sign in or register to send a comment to Great British Chefs.