Monkfish with Lemongrass-Scallion Sauce + Ozeri Green Earth Pan Review

Disclosure: I received this product as part of an advertorial.

Have you ever tried monkfish?  It's also known as "poor man's lobster", and it's a mild, firm, white fish that won't fall apart when you cook it.  I am calling it "starving grad student lobster", and it's my new favorite fish.  Inspired by the color of my new Ozeri Green Earth pan, I smashed lemongrass, scallions, olive oil, and pepper into a paste for the sauce.  This stuff will make you pucker your lips after the first bite and want to lick your bowl after the last.

In addition to being a wonderful, mood-lifting shade of chartreuse, the Green Earth pan is special because of its health- and eco-friendly design.  The nonstick ceramic coating is free of PTFE and PFOA, so it won't release harmful chemicals.  The bottom of the pan has a raised honeycomb pattern that enables you to cook with very little oil and makes sure that nothing sticks to the pan.  You can find out more about Ozeri's products on their site.

The skillet is a dream to clean (well, as close to a dream as a skillet can get thus far--I'm still holding out for self-washing dishes to appear sometime soon).  In my opinion, the only drawbacks of this pan are that it's not ideal for high-heat cooking, and using large amounts of oil can cause residue to build up on the surface.  That being said, it's perfect for a light recipe like this monkfish, and I'm thrilled to have it in my arsenal.

Also, it comes with a bright green felt pan protector (pictured above), which keeps the pan from getting scratched when you stack other dishes on top of it.  Also, it makes for a nice set of flower petals in case you want to take a fun faux flower picture.  (I think the photo is kind of hilarious, but Ben didn't seem to agree.  He did, however, laugh when I tried to justify myself by explaining that I like humorous art.  That's a thing, right?)

Monkfish with Lemongrass-Scallion Sauce
Yield: 2 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (3- or 4-inch) stalk lemongrass
4 scallions, trimmed and chopped (white and green parts)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the pan
1 teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 pound monkfish fillet, membrane removed, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon tapioca starch (optional, for a thicker sauce)
Lemon slices or wedges, for serving

First, make the lemongrass-scallion sauce.  Trim the bottom off the lemongrass stalk, slice it lengthwise down the middle, and remove the woody outer layers.  Roughly chop the lemongrass and add it to the bowl of a food processor along with the salt and a generous amount of black pepper.  Reserve a handful of scallions for garnish, and add the remaining scallions to the food processor.  Pulse briefly until the mixture starts to form a paste.  Add the olive oil and lemon juice and process until almost smooth.

Grease a nonstick pan with a little olive oil.  If you are using an Ozeri Green Earth pan, you only need a tiny amount of oil--drizzle some in and then wipe the pan with a paper towel to make sure it's evenly coated with a very thin layer.  Heat the pan over medium heat.

When the pan is hot, add the monkfish and saute for about 5 minutes, turning the pieces until they are opaque on all sides.  Transfer the monkfish to a plate, leaving any juices in the skillet.  With the heat still on medium, add the lemongrass scallion sauce and 1/4 cup of water.  Cook, stirring, until the mixture starts to bubble.  Return the fish to the pan and stir to coat with the sauce.  (If you would like to thicken the sauce a bit, mix 1/4 teaspoon tapioca starch with a tablespoon of warm water and stir the mixture into the pan.)  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 more minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.  When done, monkfish is springy to the touch and opaque throughout.  Let the fish rest for a few minutes before serving.  Top with the reserved scallions and serve with lemon wedges.

This fish is delicious on its own, but would also be great with cauliflower rice.

 Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com.  As always, all opinions are my own, and I only recommend products I use and enjoy.

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