Satay monkfish with carrot and pickled chilli salad, and a peanut and lime dressing

For the pickled carrots and chillies:

• Banana shallot 1, peeled and finely sliced
• Carrots 2, thinly sliced into rounds
• Red chillies 2, deseeded, halved and finely sliced
• Lemongrass 1 stick, bashed
• Garlic clove 1, peeled and crushed
• Fresh ginger 50g, roughly sliced
• Cider 100ml
• Cider vinegar 100ml
• Caster sugar 100g

For the monkfish:

• Monkfish tail 1.2-1.5kg, on the bone, trimmed of sinew and skin
• Olive oil
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the marinade:

• Coriander seeds 3 tbsp
• Sea salt 2 tsp
• Lemongrass 4 sticks, tough outer layers removed, finely sliced
• Garlic cloves 4, peeled and finely chopped
• Fresh ginger 4 tbsp, grated
• Olive oil 4 tbsp
• Soy sauce 6 tbsp
• Fish sauce 2 tbsp
• Limes 2, zest, juice reserved for the dressing

For the dressing:

• Olive oil 200ml
• Roasted salted peanuts 100g, chopped
• Shallots 2, peeled and chopped
• Garlic cloves 2, peeled and finely chopped
• Red chillies 2, deseeded and finely chopped
• Caster sugar 2 tsp
• Fish sauce 4 tbsp
• Limes 2, juice
• Coriander 4 tbsp, chopped

To serve:

• Baby gem lettuce 2, cores removed
• Coriander a few sprigs
• Limes 2, quartered

1. For the pickled carrots and chillies: mix the shallot, carrots, chillies, lemongrass, garlic and ginger in a large bowl. Put the cider, vinegar and sugar in a saucepan with 100ml of water and bring to a simmer over a medium heat, stirring regularly. Simmer for 1 minute then pour the pickling liquor over the vegetables and season with salt. Make sure everything is submerged, then set aside to cool. If you’re making the pickles in advance, once cool transfer to a clean container, seal and leave in the fridge until needed.
2. For the monkfish: make slits through to the bone at approximately 5cm intervals, then put the monkfish tail on a tray.
3. For the marinade: toast the coriander seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat for a few minutes until fragrant, then place in a food processor with the salt and blitz for 2 minutes. Add the lemongrass, garlic and ginger, and blend for another minute. Add the oil, soy sauce, fish sauce and lime zest and blend into a paste.
4. Rub the marinade into the monkfish and leave to marinate in a cool place for at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours in the fridge (beyond this time the monkfish may over-marinate).
5. For the dressing: put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Taste and season with salt.
6. Light the barbecue 30 minutes before you plan to start cooking to ensure the coals are white hot. If grilling the fish, preheat the grill to its highest setting for 10 minutes.
7. Scrape any excess marinade off the monkfish. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil.
8. Put the lettuce in a serving bowl, spoon over some of the dressing and scatter over the drained pickles and a few coriander sprigs.
9. Place the monkfish directly on the barbecue grill (or on a tray under the grill) and cook for 15–20 minutes, turning every 5 m inutes. To tell if it’s done, insert the point of a small knife into the thickest part between the flesh and bone and hold it there for 5 seconds, then rest the knife on the back of your hand and it should feel between warm and hot.
10. You can either remove the monkfish from the bone and serve it on warmed plates or transfer the whole thing onto a large warmed platter. Spoon over some more dressing, add the lime wedges and serve the rest of the dressing and salad on the side.