Rape recipes

Monkfish is definitely an unattractive fish, but surely many will fall in love with it after tasting its flavor. In addition to that, it is one of the most nutritious fish for humans, so eating it following various recipes can be a good way to maintain a balanced diet.

Fish, due to their great variety of brightly colored species, are considered some of the most beautiful creatures in the world. When thinking of them, many probably imagine a clown fish or a delicious salmon; However, although this is the case of fish that live near the surface, between 1,000 and 4,000 meters deep, marine animals can be found that stand out for many things, except their beauty.

Abyssal creatures are by nature unattractive in appearance; however, this is because they have had to adapt their bodies to the extreme conditions found at the bottom of the sea, where there is almost no light and the pressure is overwhelming.

This is the case of Lophiiformes fish, which are characterized by having large fangs, wide mouths, flat heads and a creepy appearance. In this family is the white monkfish, which is the most common of its kind and is considered a delicious food.

What types of monkfish are fished for human consumption?

Because they are fish that live in the depths of the ocean, Lophiiformes creatures are really difficult to catch, therefore, not all fish belonging to this family are consumed by humans. These are the best known and consumed species in the world:

1) White monkfish:

This fish is the basis of most monkfish recipes, as it is the easiest species to fish among this entire marine family. Also known as common monkfish, the animal lives in the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and also in some places in the Atlantic Ocean.

It is possible to find specimens that can measure up to two meters and their meat, although delicious, is not considered the best of its kind.

2) Monkfish from “El Cabo”:

When talking about frozen monkfish, reference is probably made to this fish, as it is a species that is usually sold frozen almost exclusively. This animal lives in the Atlantic Ocean; specifically on the coasts of southern Africa.

3) Black or reddish monkfish:

This fish is the most similar to the white species, with the difference that it is much smaller and its meat is considered to be of better quality, so its price is usually higher than that of other anglerfish options.

4) American monkfish:

This monkfish, from the US coast, is a fish whose meat, according to connoisseurs, is very similar to that of cod. This is sought after for its texture and the thickness of its fillets.

In case you are making a comparison with wet cat food because you want to feed your feline a little fish, you need to know that any kind of monkfish, if it is completely clean, is healthy for your pet.

How to prepare monkfish?

You may think that, due to its shape and how difficult it can be to catch it, monkfish is a difficult fish to prepare; however, you may be surprised to learn that monkfish’s smooth skin is ideal for cooking in a variety of ways.

Here you will find some of the most famous recipes that you can prepare at home to delight your whole family.

1) Monkfish tails in sauce

To start with this succulent cooked monkfish recipe you will need:

Ingredients

– 1 monkfish tail

– 7 cloves of garlic

– 500 grams of potatoes

– ½ liter of fish broth

– 400 grams of tomatoes

– 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley

– 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika

– 1 package of peeled shrimp

– Salt

– Unchopped parsley

– Olive oil

– sugar

– black pepper

Procedure

– As a first step, start by peeling and removing the seeds from the tomatoes to proceed with crushing them.

– Cut each garlic into slices to brown them in a saucepan over low heat. When finished, remove the garlic and set aside.

– Without turning off the pan, add the paprika and, after that, add the tomato with a little sugar, salt and pepper.

– Take the garlic, add some unchopped parsley and crush everything using a mortar.

– After peeling the potatoes, start cutting them into chunks. She sautés the pieces in oil and adds the already cold fish broth. To this you must add the sofrito and the garlic and parsley paste. Cook all this for about 25 minutes over low heat, in a pot that has enough space.

– Now, in a frying pan, add the prawns with a splash of oil. Salt and pepper them, wait for them to take on color and set them aside.

– Cut the monkfish into 4 portions, add salt and pepper to taste and begin to sauté it with a little oil.

– To finish, add the prawns and monkfish to the stew when it is at its correct point. After this step, you can now serve with a little chopped parsley to decorate.

 

2) Monkfish, prawns and mussels stew

In case you want to cook monkfish together with other seafood, to prepare a marine feast, then get ready to make this delicious stew.

Ingredients

– 1 kilogram of monkfish

– 8 prawns

– 8 mussels

– 100 ml of chacolí

– Parsley

– Salt

– Extra virgin olive oil

– 2 spring onions

– 1 leek

– 2 potatoes

– 2 cloves of garlic

– 200 ml of tomato sauce

– 1 bay leaf

Procedure

– Clean the monkfish and do the same process with the prawns. When finished, reserve the bones, the skin and the head in a saucepan with water, after seasoning. Also add the greenest section of the leek, along with a few sprigs of parsley and a spring onion cut into 4 pieces.

– Turn on the stove and cook for about 25 minutes, while you clean the mussels. When time passes, defoam the broth, strain it and reserve.

– Start heating a frying pan and add the chacolí together with the mussels. She lets them cook while they are covered, and when they open, she removes and removes the shells. Separate the meat from the broth and reserve.

– Peel the garlic and spring onion, and clean the leek to chop everything. You should cook the sliced ​​garlic in a large pan with a little oil, and add the other vegetables. While it is frying, peel the potatoes, cut them into slices and add them. Also add the bay leaf, the mussel and monkfish broth, and the tomato sauce.

– Cook all this for about 25 minutes and, to finish, add the meat and cook for a few more minutes. It remains only to serve.

 

3) Monkfish in green sauce

If you are looking for an excellent sauce for monkfish, then this salsa verde recipe may be exactly what you need to enjoy your lunch.

Ingredients

– Salt

– fresh parsley

– 1 garlic

– 1 onion

– 1 tablespoon of flour

– 250 ml of fish broth

– 4 slices of monkfish

Procedure

– Find a medium-sized saucepan to poach the garlic and onion over low heat for about 10 minutes.

– When the onion is already transparent, add the tablespoon of flour and continue cooking for a few more minutes.

– Add the fish broth and the already seasoned monkfish. Let it cook for about 4 minutes on each side.

– As a final step, sprinkle the parsley to give the sauce a green color and turn off the heat. After a few minutes, this recipe will be ready to serve.

 

4) Monkfish meatballs

If you don’t know how to cook monkfish for your guests, then trying some meatballs is not a bad idea, as it is a food that everyone generally likes.

Ingredients

– 1 kg of monkfish

– ½ kg of prawns

– Water

– Olive oil

– Saffron

– Parsley

– black pepper

– breadcrumbs

– Salt

– Flour

– 1 egg

– 1 onion

– 1 glass of wine

Procedure

– Before starting to make the meatballs, clean the monkfish and separate the skin, head and bones to place them in a pan with salt and water. The loins should be reserved. 

Clean the prawns, reserving the tails, and add the shells and heads to the pan. Add a sprig of parsley and start to boil. When finished, defoam, strain and reserve. 

– As a second step, chop the monkfish loins and the shrimp tails. It also proceeds to chop half an onion into thin strips. Add everything to a bowl and salt and pepper.

– To make the dough, add an egg and breadcrumbs to mix. Knead until everything has a homogeneous texture.

– Using this dough, make some balls and pass them through flour. You should fry each one of them and, when they brown, remove them from the heat and remove the excess fat.

– For the last step, strain half the used oil into another pan and add the other half chopped onion to poach. There you will pour the white wine and the fish broth. Add the saffron, wait for everything to boil and add the meatballs for about 5 minutes to serve.

5) Baked monkfish

Not everything is about frying, as there are baked monkfish recipes that you can easily make at home to enjoy.

Ingredients

– 3 kg of monkfish

– 4 cloves of garlic

– 4 potatoes

– 1 onion

– Extra virgin olive oil

– Water

– Salt

– Parsley

– Salt

Preparation

– Like most monkfish recipes, it is necessary to make a fish broth using the fish head, parsley sprigs, water and salt as a first step. 

– To continue with the recipe, start peeling the potatoes and onion. The former should be cut into slices, while the latter will have to be julienned. Fry everything to brown.

– Take a baking sheet and place the potatoes. Carefully pour in some of the broth. Place the seasoned fish on another oven plate, proceeding to pour a little oil over it. All this should be baked at a temperature of 220°C for approximately 20 minutes.

– Serve the fish and place the potatoes next to it. Preferably add a dash of vinegar to the fish.

– The garlic cloves should be peeled, filleted and browned in a pan. After removing from the heat, add the broth that remains after roasting the monkfish and add a little chopped parsley. 

– Again it is time to place on the fire, stirring a little. Add the sauce to the fish and serve.

6) Monkfish in walnut sauce

If you are looking for recipes for monkfish in sauce that are healthy, then this is a very good option.

Ingredients

– 400 grams of monkfish

– 50 grams of walnuts

– 700 ml of water

– 1 leek

– 1 clove of garlic

– 1 spring onion

– Salt

– ground black pepper

– Olive oil

Procedure

– Clean the monkfish and cook the tails with salt and water. Allow about 20 minutes of cooking.

– In a frying pan, fry the finely chopped spring onion and leek. Remember to add salt and wait for them to cook for 10 minutes over low heat.

– Using a food processor, chop the nuts until their texture is similar to that of flour. Add to the sauce.

– To this also add the broth from the monkfish tails, salt, pepper and let everything cook for five minutes. 

– When finished, proceed to beat the mixture until the sauce is completely lump free. Continue booking.

– Sauté the whole garlic with the previously minced and seasoned monkfish. Wait 4 minutes of cooking.

– After the fish is cooked, serve the monkfish in the sauce.

 

7) Grilled monkfish

Are you looking for a healthy recipe, without much fat and easy to prepare? This is for you.

Ingredients

– 1 kg of monkfish tail already cleaned

– Parsley

– Olive oil

– Salt

– 2 cloves of garlic.

Procedure

– Heat the griddle while adding salt to the monkfish. Having a suitable temperature, add a little oil and place the fish. 

– Take a glass and add parsley, garlic and a splash of oil. Proceed to grind to make a companion green sauce.

– Allow the fish to cook for 4 minutes on each side and, as time passes, turn off the heat and serve. Do not overdo it to prevent the meat from drying out.

With these recipes you will always have a dish ready to wait for your visitors and surprise them with a delicious and nutritious lunch. Regardless of whether you prepare the monkfish on induction hobs or gas stoves , the fish will still be delicious if you follow any of these recipes.