Monkfish Piccata with Caperberries and Preserved Lemons

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 pounds monkfish tail, bone removed and cut into 8 round medallions
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• Pinch of turmeric
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 ounces caper berries (or capers)
• 2 preserved lemon quarters (recipes follows), sliced paper thin

DIRECTIONS
Season the fish slices well with salt and pepper. Season the flour with salt and pepper and place it in a shallow bowl or on a plate. Dredge each piece of fish in the flour, patting off the excess.

In a 12- to 14-inch saute pan, heat the olive oil over high heat until smoking. Working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan, cook the fish in the hot oil, turning once to evenly brown both sides and cook through, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove the fish to a plate lined with paper towels and continue the process until all 8 pieces are cooked. Keeping the pan over the heat, add the wine, lemon juice and caper berries and swirl over high heat for 2 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Divide the fish evenly among four warmed dinner plates and pour some of the sauce over each plate. Serve immediately with the lemons alongside.

PRESERVED LEMONS

INGREDIENTS

• Juice of 1 pound of lemons plus 1 pound lemons, scrubbed
• 3 cups Kosher salt

DIRECTIONS
Make two perpindicular slices halfway down the long plane of each lemon, so that it is partially quartered but still intact (it should resemble, to the active imagination, a tulip).

Salt each lemon liberally and place in a bucket, layering salt and lemons and packing them in tightly so that each lemon is in complete contact with salt. Cover the top with salt and pour the lemon juice into the bucket. Cover tightly and store for one month, flipping the bucket every week or so to ensure an even cure.

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