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Monkfish with Herb Brown Butter Recipe

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4.3 from 34 reviews

This Monkfish with Herb Brown Butter recipe highlights the sweet, meaty texture of monkfish, often called ‘poor man’s lobster’ due to its shellfish-like flesh. The dish features pan-seared monkfish fillets basted in nutty brown butter infused with garlic, thyme, and fresh herbs like parsley, chives, and chervil. Simple yet elegant, this recipe is perfect for showcasing monkfish’s firm texture and delicate flavor with minimal fuss, resulting in a restaurant-quality meal at home.

Ingredients

Monkfish

  • 300g / 10oz monkfish fillets, skinless and boneless
  • 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper, finely ground

Herb Brown Butter Sauce

  • 2 tbsp / 30g unsalted butter, cut into 1cm (1/2″) cubes
  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 1/2 tsp parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp chives, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp chervil, finely chopped

Instructions

  1. Cut Fillets: Cut each monkfish fillet into 3 or 4 even-sized pieces to ensure uniform cooking times.
  2. Season: Sprinkle both sides of the monkfish pieces evenly with salt and finely ground black pepper.
  3. Heat Oil: Place a non-stick pan over medium heat (or medium-high if your stove is less powerful) and add the extra virgin olive oil, allowing it to heat thoroughly.
  4. Sear First Side: Place the thickest pieces of the monkfish in the hot pan first, letting them cook undisturbed for 1 minute before adding the thinner pieces. Continue cooking for another 2 minutes for all fish on the first side.
  5. Flip Fish: Carefully turn all pieces to the other side.
  6. Add Butter and Aromatics: Add the unsalted butter cubes to the pan. Once the butter begins melting and foaming, add the smashed garlic cloves and thyme sprigs.
  7. Baste With Brown Butter: When the butter starts to foam and smell nutty (brown butter), tilt the pan and spoon the butter over the fish continuously for about 2 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 55°C (131°F) and the flesh flakes easily.
  8. Rest Fish: Transfer the cooked monkfish pieces onto a rack placed over a tray to rest for 3 minutes, allowing juices to redistribute and preventing sogginess.
  9. Add Herbs to Butter: Stir the finely chopped parsley, chives, and chervil into the remaining butter sauce in the pan to make the herb brown butter garnish.
  10. Serve: Place the monkfish on plates and drizzle the herb brown butter sauce over the fish. For a fine dining presentation, slice the monkfish into 2.5cm (1″) pieces and serve on pea puree with optional dill, parsley, or chervil garnish.

Notes

  • Monkfish, also known as stargazer in Australia, is a firm, meaty fish sold skinless and boneless. You can substitute with any fish fillet about 2cm (0.8″) thick suitable for pan-frying.
  • Smashed garlic cloves release flavor while remaining easy to remove from the butter when serving.
  • Herb combination of parsley, chives, and chervil is elegant but optional; brown butter alone (beurre noisette) is classic with fish.
  • Start cooking thicker pieces of monkfish first since they take longer to cook than thinner ends.
  • Resting fish on a rack is optional but prevents the base from becoming soggy as in professional kitchens.
  • Cook monkfish to an internal temperature of 55°C (131°F) for perfectly cooked yet moist fish.
  • Nutrition info assumes using all the butter sauce per serving.

Find it online: https://deliciousyum.com/monkfish-with-herb-brown-butter-recipe/