Monkifish is large, triangular with the the body tapering as you near the tail. The head is great for making fish stocks or using for soups and the meat of the fish is located on both sides of its tail. You get two fillets that resemble a pork tenderloin, firm meat that holds up well to heat and of course, rather delicious.

Monkish is ideal for pan-frying, grilling or roasting. Today I am sauteing/pan-frying the monkfish with some fennel/anise flavours, mustard powder and sweet paprika. The dish is served with a fave pasta of mine, Greek kritharaki…shaped like orzo.

The melange of veggies in the orzo are scallions, red peppers, fennel, eggplant and zucchini. The kritharaki are brought together with hot water and another fave, Greek tomato paste made by Kyknos of Nafplion.

When making the kritharaki, remember to toast the pasta so that it keeps its shape and doesn’t go mushy on you. The monkfish is finished with some red wine vinegar, unsalted butter and a squeeze of orange juice to balance the acidity. Fancy looking dish – none too hard.

Monkfish With Kritharaki, Fennel & Orange (Πεσκανδριτσα με Κριθαρακι,  Μαραθο & Πορτοκαλι)

(serves 4)

for the kritharaki

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 scallions, sliced

1/3 cup diced carrot

1/3 cup diced fennel

1/3 cup diced eggplant

1/3 cup diced red pepper

1 /3 cup diced zucchini

2 tsp. Kyknos tomato paste

1 cup Misko kritharaki (orzo)

2 1/2 cups hot water

salt and pepper to taste

for the monkfish

extra-virgin olive oil for rubbing on fish

mustard powder

sweet paprika

ground fennel

salt and fresh ground pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

4 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter

squeeze of orange juice

fennel fronds for garnish

1. Remove the silverskin and rinse your monkfish tail and pat-dry then slice into 4 equal pieces. Rub the monkfish pieces with olive oil and sprinkle mustard powder, sweet paprika, salt, pepper and a little bit of ground fennel on each side. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
2. In the meantime, place a medium-sized pot on your stove and turn the heat to medium. Add the olive oil and add the scallions, carrots, fennel, eggplant with a pinch of salt and sweat for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir for a minute then add the kritharaki (orzo) and stir constantly for 5 minutes to toast.
3. Add the hot water, salt, pepper and cover. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until most of liquid has been absorbed. Add zucchini, adjust seasoning, cover and keep warm.
4. Take your fish out of the fridge and allow about 5 minutes to come to room temperature. Place a large skillet on your stovetop and and turn the heat to medium-high. When the pan is hot add the monkfish and saute for 4 minutes or look at the fish sideways to see if the fillet is opaque halfway up. If so, flip and saute another 2 minutes.
5. Add red wine vinegar and reduce for a couple of minutes. Add cold butter one Tbsp. at a time and swirl in. Squeeze the juice of half and orange and swirl, take off the heat.
6. Place your meal by placing a mold on your plate and spoon the krithraki in it. Unmold and place the monkfish on top. Garnish with a fennel fronds and enjoy with a bottle of Chateau Mercouri Kallisto.

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© 2013, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

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Flavour-wise, I am relying on the flavours of cabbage and carrot, both finely grated – the cabbage with a mandoline and carrot with a box grater. After that it’s underlying flavours of scallions and garlic.

Before everything gets mixed together, you have to conduct a quick cure by adding sea salt, sugar and wine vinegar. Once the slaw gets tossed in these ingredients they cook a bit, the cabbage mellows but remains crunchy.

Finally, bring it all together with Greek olive oil, yogurt, some mayo and toss until well incorporated. Adjust seasoning but basically you now have the best creamy coleslaw out there.

Creamy Coleslaw

1/2 head of cabbage, grated

1 large carrot, grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 1/2-2 tsp. fine sea salt

1 tbsp. sugar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

approx. 1/4 cup mayonnaise

approx. 1/2 – cup Greek yogurt

1. Peel off and discard any dirty outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut in half and remove the tough stalk and discard. Grate the cabbage using a mandoline and place in a large bowl. Now use box grater to shred your carrot and add into the bowl along with the sliced scallions and minced garlic.
2. Sprinkle the sea salt, sugar and add the wine vinegar and toss well. Allow the slaw to cure for 5 minutes. Now add the olive oil, mayonnaise and Greek yogurt and toss well.
3. Taste, adjust seasoning with any of the ingredients and serve cool or at room temperature. Store remaining coleslaw covered in your fridge for up to 5 days. Serve with my fantastic fish & chips recipe.

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Oxymeli, a Greek compound word meaning “acid-honey” and this was used to season food in  time when no sugar or citrus was to be found. I made my own version of Oxymeli by reducing Acropolis Organics’ Mousto Balsamico vinegar into a thick syrup. I simply drizzle this sweet and sour syrup as a garnish to the soup, offering another layer of flavour.

The shrimp are poached in a stock that’s perfumed and coloured by Greek saffron, currently cultivated in the Kozani region of northern Greece. Yep, another ancient ingredient!

This soup is easy to make and the main thing you have to remember is to soak the dry chick peas overnight in water (resist temptation to use canned chickpeas). The next day add a generous amount of Greek olive oil (boom! another ancient Greek ingredient) onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay, thyme, water, lemons and some paprika and simmer simmer simmer. The soup is ready when you’re able to mash a chickpea with the back of a spoon.

Season only when the soup is done, as salt can make chickpeas tough.

Cream of Chickpea Soup With Shrimp & Oxymeli

(serves 6)

2 cups of dry chick peas
1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 stalk of celery, finely diced

3 bay leaves

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 lemon, sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
8 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste

Oxymeli

1/2  cup Acropolis Organics Mousto Balsamic Vinegar

Shrimp

18 medium-sized shrimp, peeled & deveined

pinch of saffron threads

vegetable/seafood stock

Garnish

sliced scallions

pinch of Boukovo (chilli flakes)

1. To make the Oxymeli, pour the Mousto-Balsamic in a small sauce pan and gently bring up to  boil then simmer until thick and syrupy. Remove from the heat and pour into a small squeeze bottle.
2. To poach your shrimp, add about 2 cups of stock into a medium pot and add a pinch of saffron threads. Bring up to a gentle boil then turn off the heat and gently drop in your shrimp. Remove the shrimp once they have curled to form a C-shape and remove with  slotted spoon. Reserve shrimp for plating and you may add the poaching liquid into the soup (optional).
3. The night before, place your dried chickpeas in a bowl with enough water to cover the chickpeas by about 2 inches. The next morning, strain and rinse your chickpeas and reserve.
4. Into a large pot, add your olive oil over medium heat and throw in your onions, garlic, celery, carrots, bay leaves, thyme and paprika and simmer on medium low for about 15 minutes for the vegetables to soften.
5. Now add your chickpeas, parsley, stock and slices of lemon bring to a boil and simmer medium-low heat with the lid slightly ajar for 2-3 hours or until thick the chickpeas are fork-tender.. By this time you should have a thick, chunky chick pea soup with some liquid still evident. Remove the bay leaves, lemon slices and purée.
6. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, add sliced scallions and  serve in bowls topped with three poached shrimp and drizzled with Oxymeli. Optional, sprinkle some chili flakes for a little warm heat.

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The pork butt is a little trickier to butterfly than the loin as it is not as uniform. If your knife skills are good, go for the pork butt as it has more fat and the result is juicy, succulent pork meat. If you’re not too sure of your knife skills, go with  pork loin or ask your butcher to butterfly your pork.

The interior of the pork is rubbed with a paste made of mustard, garlic, orange, finely crushed bay leaves, sage and oregano, some honey, salt and pepper. The stuffing is simple: blanched spinach, roasted red peppers and batons of sharp sheep’s milk Kefalotyri cheese.

Finally, the meat is rolled in parchment paper and aluminum foil and place in the oven to slow cook for just over 2 hours. A meat thermometer is helpful here and once the internal temperature reaches 150F, take out of the oven, remove the foil and parchment and return to the oven get some colour under the broiler.

I served this delicious stuffed pork with a sour cherry sauce made from reducing stock, Mousto Balsamic vinegar, garlic, herbs and finished with Vissino (sour cherry preserve). A bed of garlic mashed potatoes and celery root are the bedding for this dish, a Politiki salad on the side and a Papaioannou Single Estate to pair with your exquisite meal.

Pork Gioulbasi Stuffed Kefalotyri & Sour Cherry Sauce

(serves 6)

Sour Cherry/Vissino Sauce

3/4 cup Acropolis Organics Mousto Balsamic Vinegar

1/4 cup dry red wine

1 medium red onion, minced

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

6-7 whole allspice berries

bunch of fresh thyme sprigs

1 cup of pork, veal or chicken stock

Approx. 1/2 cup sour cherry preserve (or to taste)

salt and pepper to taste

One boneless pork butt or pork loin, trimmed of excess fat & butterflied

Rub:

olive oil

coarse sea salt

fresh ground pepper

2 Tbsp. coarsely ground coriander seeds

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

3 tsp. of fresh thyme leaves

3 tsp. fresh sages, finely chopped

Paste for inside the pork

1/4 cup olive oil

zest and juice of 1 orange

1 Tbsp. of honey

1 Tbsp. Dijon style mustard

3 cloves of minced garlic

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 bay leaves, crushed

1 tsp. dried Greek oregano

salt and ground black pepper

Filling

approx. 1 cup chopped blanched spinach, try Cookin’ Greens frozen spinach

2 roasted red peppers, skins peeled and seeds removed

about 4 sticks of Kefalotyri cheese

Pre-heated 350F oven

1. In a food processor, add the olive oil, honey, wine vinegar, mustard, sage, oregano, bay leaves, garlic, orange zest and orange juice and process into a paste and set aside. Place a large sheet of aluminum foil on your work surface then a similar sized piece of parchment paper. Now crush the coriander seeds and rub the outside of the pork with it along with the minced garlic, some coarse sea salt, fresh ground peppers and fresh thyme. Now place the butterflied pork (seasoned side face down) and empty the paste in the bowl and spread it evenly all over the inside of the pork. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Now place the spinach along the middle of the pork (lengthwise) followed by the roasted red peppers and finally the Kefalotyri batons (sticks). Lift the foil and parchment to roll up the meat, use the foil and parchment to tuck/tighten the meat as it is being rolled up.
3. Twist the ends of the foil to tighten the around the meat and place in a roasting pan with a rack. Pre-heat your oven to 350F and place the roast in the oven for 2 hours or until an internal temp of 150F is achieved. Carefully remove the foil and parchment and return the meat to the oven, crank the heat to broil to brown the outside of the meat (turn the meat often to evenly brown).
4. Remove the meat from the oven, tent with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
5. While the pork is roasting, you can make the sour cherry sauce: pour all the ingredients (except for the sour cherry preserve, salt pepper) and gently bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and reduce to half the amount. Taste, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and strain. Pour back in the saucepan and add the sour cherry preserve 1 tablespoon at a time until you’ve achieved the balance of savory and sweet that you like. Reserve/keep warm.
6. Slice your Pork Gioulbasi into thick slices, serve on a bed of garlic smashed potatoes and celery root and pour some sauce over each portion of meat.

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© 2012, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

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Another Canadian ritual I missed while I was in Greece was my Saturday morning fry-up…eggs, bacon, toast, OJ, coffee but in Greece I don’t have the urge as it’s too hot and I prefer a Greek breakfast with country bread, fresh churned butter from the Laiki (farmer’s market), local jams, coffee and Greek yogurt with honey and nuts.

So, upon my return to Canada I found myself craving both lobster and a big breakfast and today’s decadence combines both these urges. I’ve swapped out the ham/bacon for lobster, switched English muffins with crispy potato pancakes and instead used cubed pieces of bread to replace the home fries.

So, imagine having a plate of Lobster Eggs Benedict arrive before on the table…crispy potato pancake followed by succulent lobster meat, topped by poached eggs with an oozing yolk and topped with a rich Bearnaise sauce (Hollandaise with tarragon) and garnished with chives and lobster roe. Don’t forget the side of toasted home fry bread that you can use to mop-up the sauce.

Making classic Eggs Benedict or any one of the riffs on this brunch classic takes some organization but it can be done at home. Here’s some tips I shared when I originally shared an Eggs Benedict recipe:

• A shallow saucepan with large surface area is best for poaching eggs.

• For poached eggs with a compact oval shape, use the freshest eggs available. Rapid boiling will cause egg to break up as it cooks.
• A few drops of vinegar will keep poached eggs compact.
• Poached eggs can be made ahead of time and held for up to two days. Undercook them slightly so that the yolks remain runny when reheated.
• Refrigerate, covered, or store in ice water, deep enough to cover eggs, until ready to use. To complete cooking, immerse in barely simmering water for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Eggs can be poached in dry white wine, chicken broth or tomato juice.

Stove Top

1. Melt the butter until bubbly but not browned and remove from the heat. Place yolks, lemon juice, salt and Tabasco in a blender container and start blending on high. Remove the lid and start pouring the melted butter in a slow but steady stream.
2. Blend for another 30 seconds and serve warm over your poached eggs.
3. Want to make your Hollandaise ahead of time? Once made pour into a Thermos and store until ready to use!

Lobster Eggs Benedict With Crispy Potato Pancakes & Bearnaise Sauce

(for 2)

the meat of 1 cooked/steamed lobster (I boil mine for 10 minutes)

For the Crispy Potato Pancakes

4 medium potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold)

1/2 cup diced onions

salt and pepper

1 Tbsp. corn starch

oil for frying

For the Home Fry Croutons

2-3 slices of cubed country bread (crusts removed)

olive oil for frying

1 clove of minced garlic

salt and pepper

fresh thyme leaves

Poached eggs

4 large eggs

water

white vinegar

Bearnaise Sauce

1/2 cup melted butter

3 eggs yolks

1 Tbsp. white wine
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
pinch of salt
dash of Tabasco Sauce

1 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon

Garnish

chopped fresh chives

sweet paprika or lobster roe

fresh ground pepper

1. Boil your lobster for about 10 minutes then drain and place in an ice water bath to halt the cooking. Remove the meat from the shells, reserve.
2. Peel your potatoes and with the side of the box grater with the largest hole, grate the potatoes into a sieve. Sprinkle some course salt and toss then allow to steep for 15 minutes.
3. In the meantime, drizzle some olive oil into a skillet over medium heat and add the cubed bread and garlic and stir until browned and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
4. Back to the potatoes, use your hands to squeeze excess water from the potatoes and add into a bowl along with the diced onions, salt, pepper and corn starch and toss. Pour about 1/2 inch of oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat and place a handful of grated potato in the pan and press down with a spatula to flatten. Fill the skillet for 2-3 more potato pancakes and fry for about 3-4 minutes a side (flip the pancakes when golden-brown).
5. Blot excess oil with paper towel and place your potato pancakes on your serving plates along with the reserved Home Fry Croutons in a warm oven (250F). Place your lobster on the stove to warm up using the residual heat of  the oven.
6. Add about two inches of water into a large skillet and bring up to a boil over medium-high heat. Crack your eggs and place each one in a ramekin. Add a few drops of vinegar and swirl the hot water with a spoon. Now gently drop each egg into the water, turn off the heat and cover. Allow the eggs to poach for 3-5 minutes (as soon as the whites have cooked you’re safe to remove the eggs).
7. In the meantime, prepare your Bearnaise by adding the yolks, lemon juice, wine, tabasco into a blender/food processor and whiz until well almalgmated. Heat your butter on your stovetop over medium heat.
8. Back to your poached eggs: carefully remove with a slotted spoon and ensure excess water has drained from the eggs.
9. Cut up your lobster meat, remove t he potato pancakes from the oven and place on top of your potato pancakes and then carefully place a poached egg on top of the lobster.
10. Time to finish the Bearnaise, s-l-o-w-l-y pour hot butter into your running blender/food processor until the sauce has thickened and turned to a soft yellow colour. Add a pinch of salt, adjust seasoning and spoon over the eggs.
11. Garnish with chopped fresh chives, sweet paprika or lobster roe and fresh ground pepper.

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© 2012, Peter Minakis. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post in a feed reader or at http://kalofagas.ca then the site you are reading is illegally publishing copyrighted material. Contact me at truenorth67 AT gmail DOT COM. All recipes, text and photographs in this post are the original creations & property of the author.

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