Simple Sundays | Prosciutto Wrapped Monkfish

[image size=”large” align=”center” autoHeight=”true” quality=”100″]http://kitchenconfidante.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ProsciuttoWrapMonkfish-Main-477×720.jpg[/image] I’m thinking of starting a new series. Starting today, in fact. Simple Sundays will focus on uncomplicated dishes, short posts that share tasty bites, foods that are in season, or anything I find novel. It may be as simple as…

Simple Sundays | Prosciutto Wrapped Monkfish

[image size=”large” align=”center” autoHeight=”true” quality=”100″]http://kitchenconfidante.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ProsciuttoWrapMonkfish-Main-477×720.jpg[/image]

I’m thinking of starting a new series. Starting today, in fact.

Simple Sundays will focus on uncomplicated dishes, short posts that share tasty bites, foods that are in season, or anything I find novel. It may be as simple as a photo, much like what some call Silent Sunday or Sunday Stills. Or I may share something, short and sweet. The whole point is, I plan to not blabber on and on on Simple Sundays (as I easily find myself doing for regular posts). Think of it as my way to say a quick hi on weekends!

[note title=”Making Fish Choices” align=”right” width=”250″] Since this post was published I learned that monkfish is classified as a fish to avoid by Seafood Watch, due to bycatch and habitat concerns in the monkfish fishery. Please see my post on Lessons in Sustainable Seafood on more. Meantime, other excellent fish choices can be wrapped in prosciutto, such as US Pacific Halibut & Cod. [/note] I’m already chattering more than I should. So let’s cut to the chase. Now that the weather has drastically improved in the Bay Area, you can imagine how eager we are to be outdoors and get grilling. This weekend, we prepared a beautifully simple Prosciutto Wrapped Monkfish. If you’re not familiar with monkfish, it is found nearly all year in the North Atlantic. Many call monkfish “poor man’s lobster” because its long fillets have a texture, shape and flavor much akin to lobster tail. I would argue that these days, though, the price has crept up considerably so it’s not necessarily the cheapest fish available.

You can wrap nearly any fish in prosciutto, but I do love how the monkfish works in particular. The prosciutto imparts a salty, smokey flavor, and keeps the monkfish from sticking to the grill. Preparation takes seconds, and grilling takes minutes. How’s that for a Simple Sunday supper?

[image size=”large” align=”center” autoHeight=”true” quality=”100″]http://kitchenconfidante.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ProsciuttoWrapMonkfish-001-477×720.jpg[/image]

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Prosciutto Wrapped Monkfish

Serves 4

  • 1 lb of monkfish; about 2 fillets, cut in half, for a total of 4 pieces
  • 2-3 thin slices of prosciutto per piece of monkfish
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • fresh or dried herbs, optional

Preheat your grill. Season the monkfish lightly with salt. Season with pepper and any fresh or dried herbs as desired. With pieces of prosciutto overlapping slightly, wrap each piece of monkfish. Place seam side down on the grill. Grill for about 15 minutes, depending on thickness of fish (average 10 minutes per inch diameter), rotating periodically. Serve with a light salad.

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Comments

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  1. MikeVFMK

    Love this Liren! Great idea for Sunday posts and love this recipe. Love the combination of fish with prosciutto. Great pictures!

    Reply
  2. Jean

    Liren, yes, do start the series. I love the idea. I considered one a few months ago about meals using just my pantry/refrigerator items but I haven’t followed through. I made one post about it. *shame*

    BTW, I think I would devour anything wrapped in prosciutto. I saw Greg’s comment and I’m noting it, too. Didn’t know that about monkfish–I have so much to learn in that department. Glad to have been educated today. :-)

    Hope you’re having a great week.

    Reply
  3. Kasey

    Wow, just discovered your blog and am so excited! It is so beautiful and your cooking style seems to fresh and totally in line with how I approach food.

    Reply
    • Liren

      Thank you Kasey, so glad you dropped by! I also discovered your blog via Twitter recently and am so pleased to meet you – love your “spin” on food – I do agree, that our cooking styles are very much in line. Looking forward to sharing more!

      Reply
  4. January

    hi Liren, this is an absolutely lovely dish. i love prosciutto-wrapped prunes with cream cheese but your monkfish looks way better and more delicious :) more importantly, i dropped by to say as i’ve always said that your blog is really one of the blogs i admire and that i feel that you should be the recipient of the eight (8!!! :P) awards i just recently received. i’m passing the 8 awards to you and i hope you’ll have the time to pick them up hehe :) http://janiscooking.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/creamy-cream-dory-and-fabulous-awards/

    Reply
  5. sippitysup

    Gorgeous recipe as always. I think I’ll try it with Halibut which is in season and peaking now on the West Coast. Besides a lot of folks don’t realize that Monk Fish is not a sustainable seafood choice and is about to be eaten into extinction. Which is a shame because it’s so damn tasty! Which I hope is not a rude comment, but I signed a pact with Seafood Watch to point these little things out at the restaurant I eat in and and the blogs I visit. It’s all about becoming more aware, that’s all. I encourage everyone to make their own choices. GREG

    Reply
    • Liren

      Hi Greg, thank you so much for making me aware of this point. I absolutely did not realize this and do not think of your comment as rude at all. When I went shopping for fish, I had halibut on my mind but after seeing the freshly arrived monkfish and remembering how much I love it, I immediately jumped at that choice. I will certainly keep this information in mind for next time. Hopefully there will come a time when monk fish is plentiful again.

      Reply
  6. Tiny Urban Kitchen

    I love the idea of Simple Sundays. I personally feel the same way – think I blab too much and should just post some silent images. :)

    Your pictures are beautiful – what a fantastic weekend meal. :)

    Reply
  7. Rochelle

    I still have yet to get my hands on some monkfish, but apperently they have them in Portugal, so this is on my list of things to make when I get there! And I’ll be able to get some really good prosciutto (presunto in Portuguese) to wrap around that fantastic fish :D

    Reply
  8. Parsley Sage

    I feel foolish for never thinking to wrap fish in prosciutto…thank you for opening my eyes! I think Simple Sundays sound sensational. Can’t wait to see what you’ve got planned for next week! Thanks for sharing :)

    Reply
  9. Vanille

    You already start to fire up the barbecue while we have to store it now…
    Like those simple and tasty bites !

    Reply
  10. Sara @CaffeIna

    See? this is the kind of recipe I love: simple, delicious and of great effect! If you start a new series of dishes like this you will totally be successful! Oh, and I’m drooling at the pic! Now I want them for dinner whether it’s Sunday or another night!

    Reply
  11. Becky

    I used to make “poor man’s lobster many years ago, I’ll have to look for it again, and try your simple recipe. Great idea for a post!

    Reply
  12. Susan

    What a great idea! With a simple salad, it’s a perfect Sunday lunch! Can’t wait to get the grill out of the garage!

    Reply
  13. norma

    I like this series already. This is a lovely recipe and I wish I was your neighbor. I am always trying to invite myself to people’s home that have a gril enticing them with doing all the grill work. Living in an apartment in NYC I miss the grill.

    Reply
  14. The Cilantropist

    I love the idea of Simple Sundays, and although I haven’t tried monkfish before, this preparation does sound amazing (since I really love proscuitto!). Thanks for sharing Liren! :)

    Reply
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