Monkfish with chicory shoots in foil, a delicious, easy, and quick to prepare main course that will surely impress. Chicory shoots, also known as Catalonia chicory sprouts, are part of traditional Roman cuisine and are usually eaten in salads, dressed with a pesto of garlic, anchovies, oil, and white wine vinegar. However, I find them delicious even when cooked, which is why I’m trying to incorporate them into some recipes. If you can’t find them or don’t like them, you can substitute with other types of vegetables, like zucchini or simple cherry tomatoes. As for the monkfish, you can find it either fresh with head or frozen (body only). Both are excellent, but only if the frozen one is of good quality. If it’s fresh, don’t throw away the head because it’s perfect for making fish stock, which is also great to freeze.
If you like both monkfish and chicory shoots, then you shouldn’t miss the following recipes:
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 1.3 lbs 2 monkfish tails
- 7 oz cleaned chicory shoots (Catalonia chicory)
- 4.2 oz Taggiasca olives
- 1 tbsp desalted capers
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt and pepper
Tools
- 1 Baking Dish
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Kitchen Twine
- 1 Bowl
Preparation
First, clean the chicory shoots or Catalonia chicory sprouts, wash them, dry them, divide them in half if they are large, and place them in a bowl.
Dress them with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, salt, Taggiasca olives, capers, and mix.
Take the two monkfish tails out of the refrigerator at least half an hour before cooking, so they reach room temperature. Then pat them with paper towels to remove all moisture. Finally, season them with two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and massage well.
Place each tail on a sheet of parchment paper and add the previously dressed chicory shoots. Close the foil like candy and tie the ends with kitchen twine.
Place the two parcels in a baking dish or tray, bake in a preheated oven at 356°F, fan mode, and cook for about 30 minutes.
Serve our Monkfish with Chicory Shoots in Foil immediately, slightly open on the plates.
Tips
We can store the monkfish in foil in the refrigerator, or directly in the freezer whether cooked or raw.
To reheat it, the microwave would be ideal, whereas to thaw it, move it from the freezer to the fridge, never thaw at room temperature.
