Monkfish and Fennel Thai Green Curry

This curry is no more than just a way to show you how versatile the green coconut-based Thai curry can be. Though eggplants and bamboo shoots are predominantly used to make the most traditional versions of Thai green curry, any mild vegetables with firm texture can be used. I'm not particularly fond of using cruciferous vegetables in Thai curries, however. But that's a personal thing. Also, while most types of meat can be used, I personally can't stand salmon, mackerel, sardine, or anything other than firm-fleshed, mild fish in my curry. But that's a personal thing as well. Other than the aforementioned ingredients, pretty much anything works.


For example, although the words monkfish, fennel, Thai, and green curry are rarely spoken in the same breath, together they work perfectly.

I just love monkfish. The so-called poor man's lobster easily makes the top 5 of my favorite fruits of the sea. The milky flavor and the firm texture that doesn't flake or disintegrate easily make monkfish a perfect candidate for a simmered dish like curry, its being aesthetically-challenged notwithstanding. The fennel's clean, sweet flavor meshes so well with the fish.


All you have to do is cut the skinned monkfish tail into 2-inch cubes. Two pounds would be enough for this sizable pot of curry. Then trim and core a 1-lb bulb of fennel and slice it into 1/4-inch slices. Grab some prepared Thai green curry and a can of good coconut milk. If you like some color, deseed and slice into thin strips 1-2 red jalapeño peppers and set that aside. Get yourself a handful of fresh Thai sweet basil and you're ready to go. Then follow the same procedure as laid out in my earlier post on Pork Panaeng Curry with Kabocha Squash.


The only point of departure from that would be the amount of curry paste used. For some reason, I prefer this monkfish and fennel curry milder, so I used only 2 tablespoons of the curry paste instead. Also, I add the monkfish and the fennel to the curry sauce at the same time as it takes roughly the same amount of time for both ingredients to cook, about 8-10 minutes. The red pepper, if used, is thrown into the pot at the same time as the basil leaves. I like to keep the basil vibrant-colored and fragrant and the red pepper crisp and bright red.

This batch serves 4-6 people. The curry is great over steamed jasmine rice, of course, or blanched rice noodles.