Monkfish Curry

Meaty, robust fish works best in a curry. You want something that can hold together and soak up the delicious juices.

That’s what makes monkfish the ideal fish for curry recipes. You’ll be able to get monkfish at most quality supermarkets and fish markets. If you can’t, however, here are a few other good alternatives:

Kingfish or king mackerel – found in the western Atlantic Ocean, kingfish (sometimes known as king mackerel) is a mildly sweet richly flavoured fish. It has large flakes, so it really stands up to slow cooking.

Tuna – it has a big rich flavour due to its high oil content. The taste is strong and unique, but should work well with the spices in this recipe. 

Halibut – mild and slightly sweet, halibut is an excellent white fish for curries. It’s a lot stronger and denser than cod, meaning it won’t flake at the first sign of sauce.

Pollock – similar to cod, with its delicate, mild taste, pollock works very well in curry recipes. It has a low oil content, which can lead to it becoming dry, but when cooked in a sauce it remains tender. Large flakes and a strong texture make it ideal for high heat cooking. 

Monkfish has quite a delicate, mild taste with a subtle sweetness. The meat of the tail or the cheeks are the only parts of the fish that are used. It’s dense, boneless and robust – perfect for a curry, as it doesn’t fall apart.

The slight sweetness and firm texture of monkfish has led to it being dubbed “the poor man’s lobster.” It's kind of a backhanded compliment if you ask me! Still, this is one tasty fish.

To find out if the fish is cooked, you just need to insert a knife into the thickest part of the fish. Leave it there for 7 seconds, then touch the knife onto your bottom lip. It should be about the temperature of a nice cup of tea.

You can also gently press your finger onto the fish. If it springs back into place, it’s cooked.

Be careful not to overcook it – monkfish can be very dry when cooked for too long. Although cooking it in sauce, as with this recipe, certainly helps!

Pairing flavors with fish is a subtle art. As most fish tends to be mild, it’s important to go for ingredients that won’t overpower the dish.

Firstly, finely sliced or finely chopped garlic and ginger go really well with most types of fish. Warm, earthy spices like cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, cinnamon, turmeric and coriander seeds are also great ingredients to use with fish. 

Herbs that work well include fresh dill, parsley, lemongrass, chives, tarragon and basil.

Another great flavour, especially in a curry, is coconut. This can either be in the form of coconut milk, desiccated coconut or coconut oil. 

Green chillies or chilli powder are also good ingredients for those who like a little kick, while the sweet and sour tanginess of tamarind paste works well in this recipe. 

Always remember to sample the sauce as it cooks and add salt to taste.

It’s around £25–£33 per kilo. It’s a little more expensive than other popular types of fish. For example, cod is £15–£20 per kilo. 

In my opinion, it’s worth every penny. This monkfish curry recipe is special and it deserves a fish that’s a cut above the average. 

If however, you want to go for a more affordable fish, try tuna, kingfish or pollock.

One of two reasons. You’ve either overcooked it (see “How do you know when monkfish is cooked?”) or because the membrane wasn't removed before cooking.

It has a tough pinkish grey membrane attached to it that needs to be removed before cooking. Most of the time, whether you’ve bought it in the supermarket or the fishmonger’s, this membrane will already be removed.

If it hasn’t been removed, you can easily remove it yourself. Use the tip of a fillet knife to expose the membrane. Then, using your other hand, peel the membrane away, piece by piece. 

If you’ve removed the membrane and you cook monkfish for the right length of time, it should be tender and delicious!