Monkfish Curry

Atul Kochhar

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

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.

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Shopping List

Fruit and vegetables

  • 1 tsp finely chopped green chilli
  • 1 green chilli, split
  • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tbsp ginger and garlic paste
  • 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste
  • 10g fresh root ginger, peeled and julienned
  • 50g/1¾oz green beans, trimmed and blanched
  • ½ lemon, juice only
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 onions, roughly chopped, fried in vegetable oil and blended into a paste
  • handful samphire, sautéed
  • 100g/3½oz mixed fresh wild mushrooms

Tins, packets and jars

  • 200ml/7fl oz coconut milk
  • finely chopped pickled silverskin onions
  • 1 tbsp Kasundi mustard sauce or wholegrain mustard
  • 1 tbsp Kasundi mustard sauce or wholegrain mustard

Cooking ingredients

  • small pinch ground timut pepper or ground Sichuan peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 black cardamom pod
  • 2 green cardamom pods
  • ¼ tsp green cardamom powder
  • 1 tsp chickpea flour
  • 2 tsp mild red chilli powder
  • ½ tsp red chilli powder
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp medium curry powder
  • ½ tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus extra for basting if needed
  • 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • salt
  • 100ml/3½fl oz fish stock
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 10g fresh root turmeric, peeled and julienned
    • Meat, fish and poultry 2 x 250g/9oz pieces monkfish tails, trimmed