Gordon Ramsay’s spiced monkfish is a whole tail rolled in Chinese five spice and paprika, seared hard, roasted, then rested and sliced thick. A sharp citrus vinaigrette with apple and tarragon goes over the top, all inside 30 minutes.
This one comes from his F Word Season 4 kitchen, not a book. He calls monkfish “the most amazing tasting fish” before the rub even goes on. The amounts are my tested version of his method.
The rest is the step people skip. He leaves the roasted tail for 2 to 3 minutes, because slicing it hot lets all the juices run out. Thick, meaty slices only work on rested fish, which is the whole point of a monkfish tail.
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Gordon Ramsay Spiced Monkfish
Course: DinnersCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes15
minutes280
kcal30 minutes
The five spice monkfish he cooks on The F Word, rubbed, roasted and dressed while it rests. Dinner for four from one tail and one hot pan.
Ingredients
- For the Spiced Monkfish:
1 monkfish tail, about 600g (1.3 lb), filleted, grey membrane removed
1 tsp Chinese five spice
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
- For the Citrus Vinaigrette:
1 lemon, segmented, segments chopped
1 small apple, peeled and finely diced
1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Small handful of tarragon leaves, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Preheat: Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Roll in the rub: Mix the five spice, paprika, salt and pepper on a plate. Roll the monkfish fillets through the mix until coated on every side.
- Sear: Get a pan very hot with the olive oil. Colour the fish on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes, until the rub turns deep golden.
- Roast: Move the pan to the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the fish feels just firm when pressed.
- Rest: Leave the fish somewhere warm for 2 to 3 minutes so the juices settle.
- Make the vinaigrette: While it rests, mix the shallot, apple, lemon segments, vinegar, oil and tarragon. Season to taste.
- Slice and serve: Cut the tail into thick slices and spoon the vinaigrette over the top.
Notes
- Chinese five spice is with the dried herbs in every UK and Australian supermarket. In the US, McCormick makes it, same aisle. No fresh tarragon? Flat leaf parsley works, the dressing just loses its aniseed edge.
FAQs
Why buy a whole monkfish tail?
Because the tail is the only part anyone eats. The huge bony head gets thrown away at sea or the market, and one central bone comes out of the tail to give you two meaty fillets.
In his Secrets book Ramsay calls monkfish “one of, if not the most expensive fish that you can buy”. Ask the fishmonger to skin it, then pull off the thin grey membrane yourself, or the fillets curl in the pan.
Why sear the monkfish before the oven?
The pan does what the oven cannot: it toasts the rub. Five spice and paprika are full of sugars that turn deep golden in a hot pan, and that toasted crust is most of the flavour.
Keep it to 2 or 3 minutes though. Leave the fish in the pan longer and those same sugars burn, turning the crust bitter before the oven gets its turn.
How do you know when monkfish is cooked?
Press it. The fish is done when it feels just firm under your finger and the flesh has turned from pearly to white all the way through. Soft and squashy means a raw middle, hard and bouncy means overcooked and rubbery.
The rest does the last bit of the work. The same just-firm rule runs through his monkfish curry, where the chunks need only 4 to 5 minutes in the sauce.
What is in the citrus vinaigrette?
Chopped lemon segments, not juice, plus diced apple, shallot, white wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and tarragon. Whole segments burst against the warm spice, where plain juice would just make the dressing wet.
The apple is the quiet trick. Its sweetness cools the five spice down, so every slice gets heat from the rub and freshness from the spoon.
Can I use a different spice mix?
Yes, the method stays the same whatever the rub. Plain paprika and cumin gives a warmer, less sweet crust if five spice is not your thing. Keep the salt in whichever mix you use, it pulls water out of the fish before the pan.
For a tandoori direction, his spiced yoghurt coat from the tandoori halibut transfers straight over, because monkfish is firm enough to hold it. Cut the tail into thick medallions first so the coating clings.
What do you serve with spiced monkfish?
His boulangère potatoes are the book match. Sunday Lunch pairs the thin, stock-soaked potato slices with roasted fish exactly like this, lighter than dauphinoise so the monkfish stays the star.
For something fresh instead, a crisp fennel salad does what the vinaigrette does, sharpness against spice. Shaved fennel, pear and rocket (arugula in the US), ready in 25 minutes.
