We all know the ditty; it’s one of many nursery rhymes we’re taught as children that is meant to teach us morals and ethics, intertwined with painfully obvious messages to the sound of a catchy jingle, which indefinitely helps them sink in to our permeable temporal lobe. Aesop needed jazzing up, what can I say.
The message in this particular fable remains current in a society driven by aesthetics, almost all of us are guilty at some point of throwing a gawp at the cover with no consideration for the content, and although 99% of the time our glances are without malice or intended vindication, being on the receiving end of a barrage of jovial stares must take it’s toll on your emotions.
Think of the poor ugly duckling as he got out of town; spare a thought for Quasimodo as he hid away in the bell tower of Notre Dame, too ashamed of his hunched back and warped features to venture out into the streets of Paris. Sympathise too with Scotland’s Susan Boyle as she strode out onto stage with every ounce of virginal courage she possessed, met by the rolling eyes of SiCo and the baying British public.
What these social underdogs all have in common is that they all had the last laugh; the duckling flourished into a beautiful swan, a case of mistaken identity; Quasimodo got the girl; and Susan Boyle, well we all know how that panned out. The point I’m not so much making as echoing, is that looks can be deceiving, and before we forge pre-emptive opinions of people we should take a step back and not necessarily analyze ourselves, but spare a thought for the potential SuBos out there waiting to be discovered.
It is this selflessness that we can thank for the discovery of the bottom dwelling monkfish, quite possibly one of the ugliest looking creatures on the planet, but thanks to the perseverance of one fisherman, we now have the pleasure of eating one of the most delicious.
Ingredients: (Serves 2)
1 monkfish tail, cut into 2” cubes
4 tablespoons sundried tomatoes
6 small gherkins
2 tablespoons sweet piquante peppers
1 tablespoon anchovy fillets
Small handful of fresh basil
2 red chilies, deseeded and roughly chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Juice of one lemon
Salt and Pepper
1 bowl of fresh breadcrumbs
Salad to serve
Method: Preheat the oven to 180°C
1. Put all the ingredients except the monkfish and breadcrumbs in a blender, chuck in a slug of oil and pulse into a paste. Take care not to make it too smooth.
2. Coat the monkfish chunks in the paste and leave to marinate for at least half a hour, covered, in the fridge. When ready take them out and spoon them into an oven proof dish and sprinkle the breadcrumbs all over. Slug a little more oil over the top and whack it in the oven for 15/20 minutes.
3. Serve with a mixed salad, I rate peppered rocket and basil for this one. The fish will be seriously juicy with a strong mix of flavours.
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