Monkfish with White Wine, Tomatoes, and Basil
Monkfish in savory, white wine-tomato sauce
Shallow poaching is one of the easiest ways to cook firm-fleshed fish, and ensures the fish will be moist and full of flavor. Monkfish is a meaty, versatile fish that holds up very well in this method.
In this recipe, the fish is cooked in a sauce full of great, classic Italian flavors – garlic, anchovies, white wine, and tomatoes, and finished with butter and a little basil.
When finishing the sauce, reduce it a bit to concentrate the flavors, but leave it loose enough to soak up some with each bite of the fish, or with some good Italian bread.
- Keep the sauce a little loose
Heat & Knives
The Recipe
Source: Biba’s Italy: Favorite Recipes from the Splendid Cities by Biba Caggiano
1 boneless monkfish tail, about 2 pounds, cut into 8 thick pieces, trimmed of all dark skin
1/3 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 anchovy fillets packed in salt or oil, minced
1 cup dry white wine
1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, with their juices, put through a food mill to remove the seeds
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes plus more to taste
8 fresh basil leaves, finely shredded
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Wash the monkfish under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the monkfish with the salt and flour it lightly. Place the monkfish in the skillet without crowding. Cook, turning once, until the fish has a nice golden color, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate.
Discard half of the fat in the skillet and return it to medium heat. Add the garlic and anchovies and stir for 20 to 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon, until the wine is reduced approximately by half. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and the red pepper flakes, and bring the sauce to a fast simmer.
Return the monkfish and all its juices to the skillet. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring and basting once or twice, until the fish is cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes. Place the fish on warm serving dishes.
Add the basil and butter to the skillet, raise the heat to high, and stir quickly for a minute or two, to thicken up the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve immediately.
