Pan Roasted Monkfish with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

It has been VERY warm here lately.  We know it is early September, but something about the word makes us feel like it should be cooler and much more fall-like than it has been.  Yesterday was particularly hot and so we opted for a light lunch that would be fresh in taste.  Our local market has a lot of fish but we tend to select the day boat or local varieties.  Yesterday the day boat fish was monkfish.  Have you ever seen a monkfish?! Yikes.  We are hoping we don’t run into any at the beach! Monkfish is meaty and white sort of like swordfish (but with lower levels of mercury) or sea bass.  It has a mild taste.  You only eat the tail.  We made a simple pan roasted monkfish with a lovely meyer lemon vinaigrette.

To begin we prepped all our veggies.  A quick blanch and ice bath for the green and yellow beans meant that they would be crisp and colorful upon serving.  The corn was stripped off the cob and roasted in a very hot pan.  The avocado was scooped with a melon baller and drizzled with the vinaigrette which consisted of olive oil, meyer lemon, dijon mustard, salt and pepper.  That was all set aside with some lovely pea shoots.  The trick with this fish is to cook it in a very (and by that we mean VERY) hot pan.  It will prevent sticking and provide a really nice color to the fish.  Throughout the short time it was cooked it was constantly basted with butter and pan juices.

The end result is a gorgeous plate with color, texture and so much flavor.  We are always sort of amazed at how easy it is to make really good food with simple ingredients.  It is also so much cheaper than going out…which is always a plus!