Monkfish Kebabs
Submitted by sewpeppy
Mediterranean monkfish kebabs marinated in olive oil, lemon, garlic, and rosemary, then grilled with bell pepper between meaty cubes of fish. A firm fish that grills like lobster without falling apart.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
1 hrsMonkfish earned its nickname “poor man’s lobster” for good reason: the firm, sweet flesh behaves like shellfish on the grill where most fish would flake apart. Cubed and threaded on skewers with bell pepper, monkfish holds its shape through the high heat and develops the crispy brown edges that define great kebabs.
The olive oil, lemon, garlic, and rosemary marinade is as Mediterranean as it gets, and each ingredient pulls its weight. Olive oil keeps the lean fish from drying out during the grill, lemon acid gently firms the exterior, garlic infuses warmth, and rosemary releases pine-oil aromatics as it hits the coals.
The marinade window matters. Ninety minutes to two hours is the sweet spot; the lemon acid starts to cook the fish ceviche-style past six hours, leaving you with chalky, over-marinated texture.
Alternating monkfish with bell pepper cubes is smart construction. Pepper takes longer to cook than fish, so separating cubes creates air gaps that let heat circulate and cook everything evenly. Jamming fish pieces together means the centers steam rather than sear.
The caution about heat distance is well-earned. Monkfish is meaty and needs ten to twelve minutes to cook through. Too close to the heat and you blacken the outside before the center is done.
Chef Tips
- Always marinate in glass or ceramic; acid from the lemon reacts with metal bowls and can give the fish a tinny taste
- Soak wooden skewers in water thirty minutes before grilling to prevent them from burning through over the coals
- Start and end each skewer with bell pepper as the recipe says; the pepper acts as a buffer that protects the end fish cubes from over-charring
- Do not overcook monkfish; pull at ten minutes if thinner cubes, twelve for thicker, any longer and it turns rubbery
Variations
- Swap monkfish for thick cod, halibut, or firm salmon chunks; all skewer similarly
- Add cherry tomatoes or red onion wedges alongside the pepper for more color and sweetness
- Serve over saffron rice pilaf or grilled flatbread with extra lemon wedges and a drizzle of good olive oil
Ingredients
Directions
Cut fish into 1 inch cubes. wash pepper and deseed it.
Cut into 1 inch pieces.
To make marinade, mix olive oil, lemon juice, crushed clove of garlic and rosemary in a glass or china bowl.
Do not use metal. Add salt and pepper.
Put in fish, turning occasionally. Keep in marinade in fridge for 90 minutes to 2 hours.
It can stay in the marinade for up to six hours, but not longer.
When you’re ready to cook kebabs, put fish on to skewers, not more than 3 or 4 cubes on each skewer, with pieces of pepper between each cube.
Begin and end with pepper.
Make sure all the pieces touch, but don’t squash together.
Push all up to sharp end, leaving a long handle to hold easily under grill or on barbecue.
Line grill with foil - saves washing up! - and grill for 5 to 6 minutes a side.
Do not put them too close to the heat - they will burn on the outside before they are cooked inside - these cubes are really meaty.
They should take about 10 to 12 minutes to cook properly so they are succulent inside with wonderful borwn crispy bits on the outside.
Serve with a rice pilau or even just crusty bread with some lemon juice to squeeze over them.
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