Monk fish is a very versatile fish, that can be cooked as a whole fillet, sliced or cut into chunks It has a firm flesh and has a subtle flavour. The large tail of the fish provides these fillets and are then cut into individual portions. They are ready to cook. 

Monk fish fillets will are excellent for cooking methods that require a firm flesh, for example would be good in fish stews or curries or even stir fries. Try cooking on the BBQ by placing slices of lemon, orange and lime on one fllet, add a few sprigs of thyme and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place another fillet on top and tie together with string. Marinade in the juices from the the three citrus fruits for an hour and place on a medium hot BBQ to cook for about 15-20 mins, basting with the marinade throughout cooking.  

Monkfish with tomatoes and olives serves 4

675g monkfish, cut into bite size chunks

8 tomatoes, peeled quatered and seeds removed

2 tablespoons of plain flour

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric

25g butter

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

12 black olives

a few small pieces of preserved lemon

salt and pepper

Mix the flour, corriander, tumeric and seasoning in a bowl. Dust the fish with the seasoned flour and put to one side.

Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the tomatoes and garlic and cook gently for 8 mins until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Push the tomato mixture to the side of the pan and add a little olive oil and fry the monkfish pieces over a moderate heat for about 5 mins, turning frequently. As the fish cooks, place them on top of the tomatoes, frying the rest and adding more oil as necessary.

When all the fish is cooked add the pine nuts and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan, the tomatoes should be thick and a little charred.

Rinse the preserved lemon in water, discard the pulp and cut the peel into strips. Stir into the sauce with the olives. Season to taste and serve with some chopped parsley.