Roasted monkfish with garlic
Recipe by Ursula Ferrigno
SERVES 4
Preparation 15 minutes
Cooking 30 minutes
1kg monkfish tail, filleted and skinned
1 large garlic bulb, as fresh as possible
4-5 bay leaves
50ml olive oil
1 tsp thyme leaves
½ tsp fennel seeds (optional)
juice of 1 lemon
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 200˚C/Gas Mark 6. Remove all traces of the thin, grey membrane, covering the monkfish (see below), then rinse and dry the fish. To hold the fillets together, tie a piece of string around the length of the fish, then secure with string at intervals.
Peel 2 garlic cloves from the bulb and cut them into thin slices. Make some incisions in the fish and push in the garlic slices. Tuck the bay leaves under the string.
Preheat a baking tray in the oven for a few minutes. Add half of the olive oil, then lay the fish on the hot tray and turn carefully to coat with the hot oil. Season with salt and pepper, and scatter with the thyme leaves and fennel seeds if using. Drizzle the lemon juice and remaining olive oil over the fish and surround with the rest of the unpeeled garlic cloves.
Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, basting frequently. Serve with grilled tomatoes if you like.
