Sous Vide Monkfish Recipe in Dashi with Snow Peas (2024)

I first had a variation of this recipe at Serpico in Philadelphia and it was amazing. I've tried to recreate it at home ever since. This version combines sweet and flavorful monkfish medallions with a light dashi garnished with snow peas, radishes, and cucumbers.

I started out cooking the monkfish at 114°F (45.6°C) so it is lightly cooked but still not flaky. These days I usually cook it at 132°F (55°C) for a flakier fish but you can use your preferred sous vide fish temperature.

The dashi should be chilled so plan ahead for the time that takes. The fish will cool down once it's in the dashi, resulting in a fun cool and warm sensation as you eat it with the cold dashi.

This recipe works great for most white fish like swordfish, halibut, bass or cod.

Also, if you are just getting started experimenting with molecular gastronomy and modernist cuisine then I highly recommend one of these molecular gastronomy kits. They have everything you need to do many different dishes.

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Sous Vide Monkfish in Dashi with Snow Peas

• Published: December 18, 2014
• By Jason Logsdon
• Prep Time: 30 Minutes
• Total Time: 4 Hours
• Cooks: 114°F (45.6°C) for 15 to 35 minutes
• Serves: 4 to 8

Sous Vide Monkfish in Dashi with Snow Peas Ingredients

For the Monkfish

1-2 pounds monkfish (450g to 900g)
Salt and pepper
1 lemon
1 tablespoon butter

For the Dashi

3 4" (100mm) pieces of kelp or kombu
2 quarts water
2 cups bonito flakes or katsuobushi

To Assemble

Snow peas, julienned
Pink radish, thinly sliced
Cucumber, diced
Mint leaves, minced
Mirin
Sesame Oil
Lemon wedges

Sous Vide Monkfish in Dashi with Snow Peas Instructions

For the Monkfish

At least 35 to 55 minutes before serving

Preheat a water bath to 114°F (45.6°C).

Clean the monkfish and remove all membranes and connective tissue. Cut into 1" (25mm) medallions. Lightly salt and pepper the medallions then zest the lemon over the top. Place the monkfish in a sous vide bag with the butter then seal. Cook for 15 to 35 minutes, until heated through.

For the Dashi

At least 4 hours before serving

Remove some of the powdery coating from the kombu by gently wiping it with a damp cloth or paper towel. Add the kombu to a pot and cover with the water. Soak for 45 minutes.

Slowly heat the water to 160°F (71.1°C) over medium heat, this should take about 10 minutes. Remove the kombu from the pot and discard.

Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Add the bonito flakes and remove from the heat. Let steep for 5 minutes. Strain the liquid to remove the bonito and any floating particles. Let the dashi cool and then place in the refrigerator to fully chill.

The dashi can be stored in the refrigerator for a week.

To Assemble

Remove the fish from the bag and pat dry. Briefly sear the medallions on one side.

Place the fish in the middle of a shallow bowl with the seared side up. Set some snow peas, radish slices and cucumber around the fish. Sprinkle some mint leaves on top of the fish. Pour the dashi around the fish. Drizzle some mirin and sesame oil in the dashi, squeeze a lemon wedge over the fish then serve.

This article is by me, Jason Logsdon. I'm an adventurous home cook and professional blogger who loves to try new things, especially when it comes to cooking. I've explored everything from sous vide and whipping siphons to pressure cookers and blow torches; created foams, gels and spheres; made barrel aged co*cktails and brewed beer. I have also written 10 cookbooks on modernist cooking and sous vide and I run the AmazingFoodMadeEasy.com website.

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