Recipe Categories
Seafood
Wine Fish

Lynn's Roasted Monkfish In Plum Wine Sauce

3 lb thick monkfish fillets
FOR THE MARINADE
    fresh ginger see prep note
3 x cloves garlic minced
1 cup Chinese plum wine
3/4 cup dry sherry
1 x lemon juiced
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
2 tsp lemon zest finely grated
2 tbl low-sodium soy sauce
3 x dried Chinese chile peppers
1 tbl coriander seed
2 tbl chopped fresh cilantro
    or flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp cayenne pepper
ADDITIONS
2 oz shiitake mushrooms
1 cup sliced celery
1/4 lb enoki mushrooms washed and trimmed
8 x scallions see prep note

 Method :
PREP notes: Cut 8 thin slices (about the size of a dime) from fresh ginger. Trim scallions, keeping 2 inches of the green, and chop.
1. If the monkfish fillets are not trimmed, use a sharp paring knife and remove the shiny membrane covering the fillets. Trim to an even thickness, saving the scraps for fish stock.
2. In a glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the marinade ingredients.
Add the monkfish and marinate for 2 hours at room, temperature or for 6 hours refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap.
3. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in boiling water to cover for 15 minutes, pushing them down with the back of a spoon to absorb the water.
Drain, stem, and slice.
4. Preheat the oven to 450F. Remove the monkfish from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Place in a baking dish and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the flesh springs back to the touch. Remove and keep warm.
5. While the monkfish is roasting, boil down the marinade in a small saucepan until reduced by half. Strain the sauce and return it to the pan.
Add the celery and shiitake and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. To serve, place a monkfish fillet on the plate and top with some of the sauce. Scatter enoki mushrooms and chopped scallions over the fillets.
Note: The same treatment works well for thick halibut or swordfish steaks, which can be grilled as well as roasted. The fish can be cooked a day in advance; roast it for only seven minutes and then reheat in a 300-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes.