Monkfish Piccata

January 18th Cook a Fish, Give a Fish class w/ David Standridge from the Shipwright’s Daughter

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Fish:

  • 2lbs of monkfish tail if fillet, 4lbs if on the bone

  • 2 heads of broccoli

  • ½ cup caperberries (can pre-slice in half lengthwise. You can find these at most grocery stores in the pickle and caper aisle)

  • 1 tbs capers (drained)

  • 3 lemons

  • 1lb unsalted, good quality butter

  • 1 bunch flatleaf parsley (picked off the stem, washed and dried)

  • 4 tbs high heat cooking oil (canola, grapeseed, avocado, algae)

  • ½cup dry white wine

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 6 sprigs of fresh thyme

  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the Grits (soaking overnight recommended):

  • 6 ounces (1 cup) Davis Farm Flint Corn Grits or other artisanal Grits (quick grits will work but you will follow the instructions on the package)

  • Spring or filtered water (tap water works as long as you are comfortable drinking it)

  • Fine sea salt

  • 2-3 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Tools Needed:

  • 1 heavy bottomed 4qt pot with lid for polenta

  • Large saute pan (cast iron is great for monkfish)

  • Sharp chefs knife

  • Hand lemon juicer

  • Hand blender or whisk

Instructions

For the Grits:

  1. * Do this the day before* Place the grits in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan (preferably a Windsor saucepan) and cover them with 2½ cups water. Stir once. Allow the grits to settle a full minute, tilt the pan, and skim off and discard the chaff and hulls with a fine tea strainer. Cover and let the grits soak overnight at room temperature. If you are not soaking the grits, proceed directly to the next step.

  2. Set the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the first starch takes hold, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cover the pan. Meanwhile, heat 2 cups of water in a small saucepan and keep hot. Every 10 minutes or so, uncover the grits and stir them; each time you find them thick enough to hold the spoon upright, stir in a small amount of the hot water, adding about 1½ cups water or more in 4 or 5 additions. Cook until the grits are creamy and tender throughout, but not mushy, and hold their shape on a spoon, about 50 minutes if the grits were soaked or about 90 minutes if they weren’t, adding 1 teaspoon salt halfway through the cooking time. To finish, stir in the butter with vigorous strokes. Add more salt, if desired, and the pepper.

For Monkfish & Sauce:

  1. Preheat oven to 450. If using monkfish on the bone break down and portion the monkfish tail, carefully removing the outer skin from the monkfish (skip to next step if you have a fillet). Once skin is removed, with a sharp knife remove silverskin. Slice on an angle to get ½” 2/3” Medallions. You should get about 12 pcs

  2. Lay monkfish on towels in fridge

  3. If using monkfish on the bone cut the spine into chunks at each joint. Dry pieces with a paper towels and toss with high heat cooking oil. Place on baking sheet in oven for 15 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove from oven and set aside

  4. In a sauce pot add white wine and bring to a boil

  5. Add fish stock or clam juice and bring to boil. If using bones add bones and simmer. You can add a little water to just cover bones.

  6. Add two sprigs of thyme to sauce pot, and reduce by half.

  7. While sauce is reducing skip down and cut all your garnish.

  8. Strain bones if using and reduce a little further. You should reduce until you have ½ cup of liquid.

  9. Remove sauce from heat. While still hot, whisk in 2 tbs cold butter.

  10. Set sauce aside

Garnish:

  1. Slice 3 lemons thinly and remove seeds from slices

  2. Finely chop parsley

  3. Cut caperberries in half length wise

  4. Skip back up and finish your sauce.

Broccoli:

  1. Slice each head of broccoli into 2 steaks and flatten the sides

  2. Season broccoli with salt and pepper

  3. Heat a medium saute pan and add 1 tbs high heat oil. Sear each broccoli steak until dark brown on each side. Set aside.

Monkfish & Sauce cont:

  1. Season your monkfish with salt and pepper and toss in flour. You can put the monkfish in a bowl of flour and then shake it off as you put it in the pan.

  2. Heat a large saute pan on medium high heat and add 1/8” of high heat cooking oil

  3. Test the oil by flicking a little flour in it or a drop of two of water, to see if it sizzles. If it smokes it’s too hot; turn it down.

  4. Add filets carefully and brown on one side. Remove from pan and set aside on a paper towel

  5. Drain oil and return pan to heat. Add lemon slices in a single layer.

  6. Add 2 tbs butter, 1 crushed garlic clove, caper and caperberries, browned butter, then sauce. It should boil and thicken

  7. Add the monkfish back into the pan and spoon the sauce over each medallion.

  8. When sauce is thick (should be just a minute or two) remove pan from heat.

To Plate: Add a dollop of grits to the bottom of a bowl/center of plate. Place seared broccoli next to grits. Arrange monkfish and garnish with lemon slices, capers and caperberries, and sauce.