Roast Monkfish with Garlic

Ingredients:

• 1 kg skinned monkfish tail (fillets can be used)

• 14 large garlic cloves

• 5 ml fresh thyme leaves

• 30 ml olive oil

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 2 bay leaves

• Salt

• Ground black pepper

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Cooking Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220ºC

2. Remove any membrane from the tail and cut out the central bone

3. Peel 2 garlic cloves and cut them into thin slivers

4. Sprinkle ¼ of these and half of the thyme leaves over the cut side of the fish

5. Close fish up using fine kitchen string to tie it up like a boned piece of meat

6. Pat dry with kitchen paper

7. Make incisions on either side of the fish and push in the remaining garlic slivers

8. Heat half the olive oil in a frying pan, which can be safely used in the oven

9. Once hot place the fish in the pan and brown it all over until it is evenly coloured (approx. 5 minutes)

10. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with lemon juice, and the remaining thyme leaves

11. Tuck bay leaves under the fish, arrange the remaining (unpeeled) garlic cloves around it, and drizzle the remaining oil over the fish and garlic

12. Transfer frying pan to the oven and roast the fish until the flesh is cooked through (approx. 20-25 minutes)

13. Place on a warmed serving dish with garlic and some green beans

14. Remove string and cut the fish into 2 cm thick slices

15. Serve with green beans