Monkfish With Roasted Artichoke Hearts Recipes

"POOR MAN'S LOBSTER" - MONKFISH WITH HERB BROWNED BUTTER

Steps:

• Cut fillets: Cut each monkfish into 3 or 4 even size pieces. (Note 1)
• Season: Sprinkle both sides of fish with salt and pepper.
• Rack for resting: Place a rack over a tray (optional, for resting fish, Note 5)

ROASTED MONKFISH WITH MORELS, DANDELION AND ARTICHOKE SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the sauces, cut the head of garlic in half crosswise. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic head, tarragon and thyme and sweat for 5 minutes. Raise the heat and stir in the wine and vinegar. Stir in the broth and 3/4 cup of oil. Squeeze the juice from 1 halved lemon into the saucepan, then add rind, along with the peppercorns. Simmer slowly for 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, squeeze the juice from the remaining 2 halved lemons into a wide pot and add the rinds. Stem the artichokes. Place the artichokes in the pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Place damp paper towels over the artichokes to keep them immersed. Lower the heat and simmer until very tender when pierced with a knife, about 35 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl. Strain the reserved garlic-herb mixture over the artichokes, stir to coat them well and set aside for 1 hour.
• Remove artichokes from the liquid and simmer it in a saucepan until reduced to 2 cups. Let cool. Place in a blender and, with the machine running, slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup of oil. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over low heat. Add the chopped clove of garlic and sweat just until softened. Pull off and discard all but the innermost leaves of the artichokes and place the artichoke hearts in a food processor with the garlic, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place in a medium saucepan and whisk in half of the vinaigrette. Set aside.
• To make the monkfish, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle the fish very lightly on both sides with flour and season with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Place the fish in the skillet top side down and sear on both sides until golden brown (in 2 batches if necessary). Place in the oven and roast until fish is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, warm the artichoke sauce over very low heat. (The sauce will separate if too hot.) Remove the fish from the skillet and keep warm. Deglaze the skillet over medium heat with the remaining vinaigrette. Strain the vinaigrette into another skillet and place over medium heat. Add the butter and the morels and cook for 2 minutes. Add the dandelion greens, stir just until wilted, remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, spoon the vegetables with their sauce onto the center of 6 plates. Place 1 piece of monkfish on either side of the vegetables. Spoon the artichoke sauce around the vegetables and serve immediately.

ROASTED MONKFISH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Season fish with salt and pepper.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Over high heat, cook one side of the fish until golden brown, about 1 minute. Turn, and brown the second side. Add carrot, onion, garlic, wine and fish broth, and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
• Transfer the contents of the skillet to an oven-proof baking dish, and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Roast for 5 minutes. Remove the fish to a serving platter and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepan, boil the cooking liquid and vegetables over high heat until reduced by half. Stir in the remaining olive oil to bind the sauce.
• Spoon the sauce and vegetables over the fish, and serve with mashed potatoes.

MONKFISH ROASTED WITH HERBS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Tie the monkfish fillets with butcher's twine at 2-inch intervals. Season with salt and pepper.
• Line the bottom of an earthenware or other low-sided baking dish with thyme and rosemary sprigs. Tuck bay leaves here and there, if using. Lay the fish on top of the herbs and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Scatter the lemon slices and whole olives over fish. Set aside for 30 minutes to marinate. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
• Meanwhile, make the olive paste: Put pitted black olives, garlic and 1/4 cup olive oil in a small food processor and pulse to a rough paste. (Alternatively, chop olives finely with a knife and stir together with garlic and oil.)
• Roast fish, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned on top and firm to the touch. Check with a paring knife to be sure fish is cooked through. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Snip twine with scissors and remove from fish. Cut fish into 4 portions and spoon some of the roasted lemon slices and whole olives over the top. Dab each piece with a teaspoon of olive paste, or pass olive paste separately.