Monkfish as grilled in Romagna

I love this simple way of preparing fish for grilling and we use it all the time at The Seahorse. It’s especially good if you are cooking over coals (and yes you can do that in the winter too!) but works well on a grill pan or conventional grill. The local monkfish caught in the Bay is excellent and due to its lack of bones and meaty texure a good choice for a big family celebration. 

You will Need

1 monkfish tail  for each person
or our larger monkfish tail to be shared between 2

1 tbsp each of, dried oregano & fennel seeds, 

½ tbsp dried thyme

4 bay leaves roughly ground

Small handful of fine fresh breadcrumbs

1 dried birdseye chilli

salt & pepper 

100ml white wine

olive oil

To Make

Mix the herbs, breadcrumbs and chilli together. Cutting the monkfish part way through the flesh along the bone to achieve a butterfly effect can help bring more surface area for the coating, do this each side. Mix together the wine and a splash of olive oil, sprinkle the fish with salt and then marinade in the wine and oil for 15 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with the herb and breadcrumb mixture and grill for 10-15 minutes under a hot grill. 

Serve with some fresh leaves drizzled with lemon and olive oil for a light meal or add seasonal vegetables.