Mionk fish, or Angler fish, is from the Lophius Piscatorius family of fish. It had been indigenious to Galicia, where it was named Verdadero, " True Fish " ..
The Basque call it Zapo Beltz, and the Spaniards call it " Ra pe " .. In Catalonia, we call it, Granota de Mar, which denotes " Enormous Fish " ..
Monk fish has often been called " The Poor Man´s Lobster " because of the texture being quite similar.
The carnivorous Monk fish is quite a large catch and looks like an ugly ugly huge, "cat fish" with an extremely large head.
This fish is a sailor´s heaven on earth and the sauce, which is served separately is called: Matelot which consists of fresh red ripe de-seeded and peeled tomato, Almonds, Garlic, Smoked Paprika and Pine Nuts or Hazelnuts and day old bread sautéed in Evoo.
I just grill mine and prepare the Matelot Sauce separately ..
The Monkfish:
1 Kilo of Monk fish ( ask your Fish Monger to cut into thick slices as in Photo )
50 Ml. Evoo or 1 / 3 Cup
200 Grams of leek and shallots ( 100 grams of each ) - Minced Finely.
300 grams of fresh red ripe tomatoes de - seeded and peeled ..
1 clove of minced garlic ( however, you can add 2 cloves depending on size of the cloves )
60 grams of toasted almonds ( toast them in sauté skillet )
2 tblsps of pine nuts or hazelnuts
2 thick slices of day old Baguette
1/2 cup of water
salt to taste
Smoked Pimentón ( smoked paprika ) .. La Vera, Extremadura .. It is sold world wide in Latin American Grocers or sections of main supermarkets ..
1) Wash the monk fish and allow to drain.
2) Heat some Evoo in a skillet and sauté the shallots and leeks ( minced )
3) When the shallots & leeks soften, add the minced tomatoes and sauté gently, to form a Pesto type texture.
4) Now, add some minced fresh parsley and smoked paprika .. Stir clockwise and remove from the stove.
5) Crush the garlic clove in a Mortar and put in the almonds, the pine nuts and the sautéed bread cubes or you can place in a food processor if you wish ..
6) Add the tomato mixture and blend thoroughly while adding a lttle wáter, depending on the "salsa" or pesto texture you prefer.
7) Now, place a bit of the sauce, to make a bed, for the fish. In other words, lay your Monkfish in a large "earthenware " or oven glass casserole if you prefer, and season the fish with salt and place gently on top of a bit of the sauce ..
8) *** I have grilled mine this time for 15 minutes instead of preparing on the sauce ..
9) You shall see the photo: shows a grilled slab of Monkfish ..
10) Serve the sauce or salsa on the side in a sauceboat ..
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