By
Diego Cortés
Battered monkfish is the kind of fried fish you order as a tapa in northern Spain: chunks of monkfish tail marinated in lemon, dipped in flour and egg and fried until golden outside and juicy inside. In Asturias they are called fritos de pixín, and "taco" here means a chunk of fish, not a Mexican tortilla.
It is a simple recipe: monkfish is a white fish with firm, boneless flesh that holds up to frying without falling apart. Serve it as a starter for four, as dinner with a salad or on a spread of small fried dishes. The sriracha mayo is the modern version; the classic one comes with nothing but lemon.
On a plate of fried food it sits well next to Roman-style anchovies; as a monkfish main course, rice with monkfish is its spoonable sibling.
Prep
20 min
Cook
12 min
Servings
4
Calories
520 kcal
Pat the monkfish tails completely dry with kitchen paper and cut them into 3 to 4 cm chunks, one or two bites each.
Put the chunks in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, pour over the juice of one lemon and leave for 15 minutes in the fridge; no longer than 30, because the acid starts to cure the surface of the fish.
While the fish rests, make the sauce: mix the mayonnaise with the sriracha, a teaspoon of lemon juice and the grated garlic, taste and adjust the heat, then keep it cold.
Drain the monkfish and pat it dry again: if it goes into the flour wet, the flour clumps and the coating slides off in the oil.
Put the flour in a shallow dish, the beaten eggs in another and set a tray lined with kitchen paper next to the stove.
Heat 3 to 4 cm of oil to 175-180 °C: a cube of bread should turn golden in 30 to 40 seconds without the oil smoking.
Coat each chunk in flour, shake off the excess, dip it in the beaten egg and let it drain for a second on the edge of the dish.
Fry in batches of four or five pieces without crowding them, 2 to 3 minutes per batch, turning once, until the coating is golden.
Lift the pieces onto the paper-lined tray, let them drain for a minute and sprinkle salt on top while they are hot.
Serve straight away with the sriracha mayo, lemon wedges, parsley and shredded cabbage; if you want them as tacos, warm the tortillas and fill each one with two or three pieces of monkfish and a spoonful of sauce.
This recipe has a easy difficulty level, which means it's accessible for cooks of all levels.
The preparation time is 20 minutes and the cooking time is 12 minutes.
This recipe is designed for 4 servings.
Yes, many ingredients can be substituted with similar alternatives. We recommend checking the recipe variations.
Store the preparation in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Some preparations can be frozen for up to 3 months.
