Cooking with Colm O'Gorman: Monkfish tikka masala with flattened rice

We did not eat a lot of fish when I was little, which, when you think of it, was odd. I grew up in Wexford, a seaside county with a strong fishing tradition. Kilmore Quay was not far away, and the Quays in Wexford town were home to trawlers and mussel boats.

I do not remember seafood being on the menu much in local restaurants, either. A lot has changed since then, thankfully, and seafood has very much come into its own in recent decades, though it can still be hard to source fresh, locally caught fish.

Gorey, where I live, does not have a fishmonger, so we have been dependent on the supermarkets.

Quite a bit of the fish in the supermarkets is imported, too, which is not great from an environmental and sustainability perspective. Over the past year, though, home delivery has become an option. There are some great Irish fishmongers, who will deliver fresh fish direct to your door. My recipe this week features monkfish, which I ordered from Gannet’s Fishmongers, in Galway, locally caught off the west coast.

I adore monkfish. It has a wonderful, meaty, firm texture and can take on lots of flavour. It is a beautiful fish to cook with and to eat. I have paired my monkfish tikka masala with poha, a lovely Indian dish made using pawa, a flattened rice. You can get pawa from most decent Asian supermarkets.

Poha is usually eaten for breakfast in parts of India, but it is perfectly paired with this monkfish and a simple relish made from onion, coriander, lime, and red chilli. This recipe serves four.

Monkfish tikka masala

recipe by:Colm O’Gorman

Monkfish takes on the flavours of tikka masala so well - its meaty texture can stand up to the bold, vibrant flavours of this Indian dish

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 35 mins

Total Time

 50 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Indian

Ingredients

• 500g prepared monkfish fillets (membrane removed)

• ½ tsp ground turmeric

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

• 1 tsp flaky sea salt

• 1 tbsp grated ginger

• 1 tbsp grated garlic

• 125g Greek yoghurt

• juice of half a lemon

• 30g butter

• For the poha:

• 150g pawa (flattened rice)

• 400g potatoes

• ½ red onion

• 2 green chillies

• ½ tsp ground turmeric

• 1 tsp mustard seeds

• 1 tsp cumin seed

• a few basil leaves or 8 curry leaves

• 150g peanuts

• 50g sultanas

• 30g coconut flakes

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• For the relish:

• 1 onion

• juice of half a lime

• 1 small red chilli

• a few tbsp of coriander

Method

1. Cut each monkfish fillet into four portions. Combine the spices, garlic, ginger, yoghurt and lemon juice in a bowl and add the monkfish portions. Coat the fish all over with the paste and let it marinade for a few hours.

2. Peel and dice the potatoes, cut them small, about one centimetre is perfect. Heat some olive oil in a pan and sauté the potatoes until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside. Toast the peanuts in a dry pan over a medium heat. Give them five to ten minutes tossing them regularly to make sure they are toasted evenly. When done, set them aside.

3. Put the flattened rice into a colander and rinse it under cold running water for a minute or two. Let the colander drain over a bowl for about six to eight minutes. By then, your pawa should be quite soft. Put it in a bowl along with the sugar and salt and use a fork to softly mix that through the rice.

4. Finely chop the red onion and the green chillies. Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the mustard and cumin seed, as well as the basil or curry leaves. Cook for a minute, until the mustard seeds start to pop, then add the onion and chopped chillies. Cook for a few minutes until the onions soften and add the sultanas. Sauté for another minute and add the cooked potato. Set the pan to one side while you cook your fish. 

5. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add a little olive oil and turn down to medium. Pop on the fish and cook it for four minutes before turning it over and cooking for another four minutes. Then toss the butter into the pan and when it starts to froth, use a spoon to baste the fish with the butter for a minute or two. The length of time your fish needs will depend on the size of the fillets. If you have a meat thermometer, the fish will be perfectly cooked when it hits fifty degrees celsius. When the fish is done, let it rest in a warm oven for five minutes while you finish the poha.

6. Put the pan with your poha ingredients back on the heat. Add the flattened rice and the turmeric. Mix well to combine everything in the pan and cover with a lid. Let it sit over a low heat for about five minutes while you make your relish.

7. Peel and very thinly slice the onion, chop the coriander and red chilli. Add them to a bowl along with the sugar, a generous pinch of salt and the juice of half a lime. Mix well and let it sit for a few minutes.

8. By now your poha will be ready. Add the juice of half a lemon and lots of freshly chopped coriander. Taste, and add more seasoning if needed.

9. Divide the poha across four warm plates, add a few pieces of fish per serving and lots of the fresh onion relish.