Monkfish curry
Spice up your life with this wonderful fish supper which marinates monkfish tail in a flavourful rub. The monkfish is served with a rich coconut sauce and spicy vegetables.
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 2 tsp mild red chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tbsp ginger and garlic paste
- 1 tbsp Kasundi mustard sauce or wholegrain mustard
- 1 tsp finely chopped green chilli
- 1 tsp chickpea flour
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus extra for basting if needed
For the monkfish curry
For the malai kory sauce
- 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 black cardamom pod
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 green chilli, split
- 3 onions, roughly chopped, fried in vegetable oil and blended into a paste
- 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste
- 1 tbsp Kasundi mustard sauce or wholegrain mustard
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- 100ml/3½fl oz fish stock
- 200ml/7fl oz coconut milk
- ¼ tsp green cardamom powder
- salt
For the mushrooms and beans
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 10g fresh root ginger, peeled and julienned
- 10g fresh root turmeric, peeled and julienned
- 1 green chilli, finely chopped
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú green beans, trimmed and blanched
- 100g/3½oz mixed fresh wild mushrooms
- 1 tsp medium curry powder
- small pinch ground timut pepper or ground Sichuan peppercorns
- salt
To garnish
Method
To make the monkfish curry, place all the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl and mix to combine. Rub all over the monkfish. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Place the fish in a roasting tin and roast for 12–15 minutes. Baste the fish midway through cooking with the juices in the tin or use some extra oil for basting. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the lemon juice.
Meanwhile, to make the malai kory sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan and add the cardamom pods, bay leaf and green chilli. Add the onion paste and fry for 2 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry for another 2–3 minutes until the paste turns light brown in colour. Add the mustard, coriander and chilli powder. Add half of the fish stock and then add the coconut milk. Season with salt to taste. Bring to the boil and adjust the consistency of the sauce by simmering down or adding more of the fish stock as preferred. Stir in the cardamom powder. Strain the sauce and keep warm.
To make the mushrooms and beans, heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the mustard and cumin seeds for 1 minute. Add the ginger, turmeric, green chilli, beans and mushrooms and sauté for 2–3 minutes. Add the curry powder, timut pepper and season with salt to taste.
Ladle the sauce onto two large plates and place the mushrooms and beans in the centre. Top with the fish and garnish with samphire, onions and edible flowers. Serve immediately.
