Grilled Monkfish
Potato-Wrapped Monkfish Tail, Wilted Spinach, Vuelve a la Vida, Lobster Oil
Chef Fidel Caballero of Corima | New York
Adapted by StarChefs | February 2025 | Photo: WilL Blunt
INGREDIENTS
Vuelve a la Vida:
400 grams roasted monkfish bones
200 grams quartered tomatoes
100 grams chopped carrots
80 grams chopped celery
75 grams chopped onions
10 grams pasilla Mixe chiles
5 grams morita chiles
2 dried avocado leaves
20 grams chopped cilantro
15 grams chopped parsley
Lobster Oil:
200 grams lobster shells
10 grams sliced ginger
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 bay leaf
350 grams neutral oil
Wilted Spinach:
100 grams New Zealand spinach
15 grams Corto TRULY 100% extra virgin olive oil
5 grams kosher salt
Monkfish:
500 grams monkfish tails, cleaned and trimmed
30 grams red adobo sauce
400 grams Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 3-millimeter-thick slices
5 grams kosher salt
To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
6 grams soy lecithin powder
Corto TRULY 100% extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice
METHOD
For the Vuelve a la Vida:
In a stock pot over medium heat, add monkfish bones, tomatoes, carrots, celery, onions, chiles, and avocado leaves. Cover mixture with enough water to submerge. Let simmer 3 hours and 50 minutes. Add herbs and cook additional 10 minutes. Strain into a nonreactive container and refrigerate.
For the Lobster Oil:
In a sauté pan over medium heat, add lobster shells, ginger, garlic, and bay leaf. Toast until fragrant. Add oil and reduce heat to low. Let simmer 2 hours. Strain into a nonreactive container, discarding solids. Let cool.
For the Wilted Spinach:
In a mixing bowl, toss to coat spinach in olive oil and salt. Transfer to a pan over medium heat. Sauté spinach until just tender. Set aside.
For the Monkfish:
Heat and prepare a grill. On a work surface, coat monkfish in red adobo sauce. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, add potatoes and 45 grams Lobster Oil. Toss to coat. Season with salt. Set aside. Add monkfish to grill and sear until adobo sauce caramelizes. Transfer to a work surface. Wrap fish in marinated potato slices. Return monkfish to grill and cook until potatoes are golden and crisp. Set aside.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a saucepan over medium-low heat, warm Vuelve a la Vida. Whisk in soy lecithin powder. Using a Vitamix Commercial immersion blender, mix until incorporated and a stable foam is achieved. Keep warm. On a work surface, slice Monkfish and transfer to a serving plate. Top with enough Wilted Spinach to cover. Spoon Vuelve a la Vida foam over Monkfish. Finish with olive oil and lemon juice.
