Lemon, thyme and crushed cumin, coriander and fennel seeds flavour these Hairy Bikers monkfish kebabs, and the whole job takes me about an hour. As printed on BBC Food, from Saturday Kitchen Best Bites, the recipe makes 8 skewers, so 4 people get two each at about 305 calories.
In Hairy Dieters, Si and Dave write of “the scent of lemony, herby lamb cooking on the barbecue”, and this marinade uses the same seeds. Instead of lamb it coats monkfish here, a fish Great Curries calls “very firm”, so it grips the skewer rather than flaking off.
Peel off the thin membrane before cutting, as Great Curries says, because I find it shrinks on the grill and toughens the fish. Then cut about 3cm chunks, the size that book uses, so each piece cooks through in 3 to 4 minutes a side.
Hairy Bikers Monkfish Kebabs Recipe
Description
Spiced fish alternates with red onion, courgette, aubergine or pepper on the skewers, charred at the edges by a very hot grill. And they come to the table with a cool bowl of Greek-style yoghurt, chopped mint and a spoonful of mint sauce. Allow at least 30 minutes of marinating inside the prep time, so start the fish before you light the barbecue.
Ingredients
For the kebabs
For the minty yoghurt dip
Instructions
- Grind the seeds: crush 2 tsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp coriander seeds and 1 tsp fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar. Then tip them into a large glass bowl, and put any wooden skewers in water to soak for 30 minutes.
- Marinate: add 1 tbsp thyme leaves, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1 chopped garlic clove and 2 tbsp olive oil. Then season with salt and pepper, stir in the monkfish, cover and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat up: towards the end of the marinating, preheat a barbecue or grill to its highest setting.
- Thread: while the grill heats, alternate chunks of monkfish with the 400g of vegetables, dividing everything between 8 skewers.
- Cook: then give them 3 to 4 minutes on each side on the barbecue or under the grill, until the fish is cooked through.
- Make the dip: mix 150ml Greek-style yoghurt, 1 tbsp chopped mint and 1 tsp mint sauce in a small bowl. Chill it if you make it early, then serve it alongside the hot kebabs.
FAQs
Are there any mistakes in the BBC recipe?
Two small ones: step one soaks saffron that the ingredients never list, so there is no amount to follow. Since the lamb version of this marinade manages without it, I leave it out. On top of that, the dairy-free tag slips, because the dip is Greek-style yoghurt.
Can I use ground spices instead of whole seeds?
You can, since Hairy Dieters allows 1½ teaspoons each of ground cumin and coriander for the same marinade on lamb. But it warns the flavour “won’t be quite as good as freshly ground spices”, and grinding only takes me a minute. If I am out of whole seeds, the swap covers cumin and coriander, while the fennel still goes in the mortar.
Can I cook monkfish kebabs in the oven or a slow cooker?
Use the grill instead, because the BBC method offers it in place of a barbecue, and their lamb version cooks “close to the element”. So my tray goes on the top shelf under the hottest setting, and I turn the skewers as each side colours. But a slow cooker is the wrong tool here, since the monkfish would stew in its own juice instead of charring.
What goes well with monkfish kebabs?
BBC Food pairs them with a jumbo couscous salad, though I like them stuffed into warm pitta with shredded lettuce too. And their potato salad with capers and gherkins suits a barbecue spread, as long as it stays in the fridge until we sit down. For the meat eaters, their lamb kofta with hidden lentils come on skewers too.
Can I make them ahead, and do leftovers keep?
I stop the marinade at about an hour, because lemon juice starts turning raw fish opaque at the edges. With chicken it is different, which is why their chicken shawarma thighs marinate overnight, though here I just mix and chill the dip early. And cooked leftovers keep covered in the fridge for a day, though I eat them cold in a salad, since reheating makes monkfish rubbery.
