Grilled Lobster Monkfish

Today I'm posting a Monk fish recipe. As you can see this dish doesn't need much work as you'll prepared grilled. It's very soft, juicy and has a very natural flavor.

Ingredients (for 2):

• 1 Monk fish Tail
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Sweet Paprika
• Mayonnaise or Tartar Sauce

Preparation:

1. Wash the monk fish and dry it with a piece of kitchen towel.
2. Put some olive oil in your hands and smear the monk fish with it.
3. Do the same with the salt and the paprika (to give it the lobster color).
4. Once done, heat the griddle pan (without oil, it's enough with the amount we put on the fish), when medium hot place the fish on the griddle pan and cook for about 3 minutes on each side (be careful to avoid burning the paprika).
5. Let stand for about five minutes before serving. The monk fish needs to be perfectly done. If you have a thermometer, look for an internal temperature of 145 degrees.

As you can see from the photo above, you can have it with mayonnaise or tartar sauce. As a side dish you can have whatever you prefer, I put a simple lettuce, onion and tomato salad.

Torrijas (Spanish French Toast)

This is a typical Spanish sweet made during Lent but also in Christmas time. They are really easy to prepare even though, it takes some time and are delicious so, prepare yourselves to this wonderful treat.

Ingredients:

• 1 French Loaf (better from the previous day)
• 1 liter of Milk (more or less, depending on the type of bread it would absorb a different amount of liquid)
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 1 Lemon Rind (only the yellow part)
• 120gr of Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• Olive or Sunflower Oil, for frying
• Cinnamon powder
• Sugar for decorate or Honey with water

Preparation Instructions:

1. Put the milk to boil with the cinnamon stick and the lemon rind in medium heat for 10 minutes. It's possible that it needs more time, until the milk tastes lemon and cinnamon.
2. Add the sugar and let it dissolve completely. Try the milk. It should be very sweet, nearly sickly, so the bread gets enough sweet. Add more sugar if necessary.
3. Leave to cool and strain to take out the lemon rind and the cinnamon stick.
4. Meanwhile, cut the bread in thick slices, around 3cm, and put them in a deep dish.
5. Cover them with the milk until is completely soaked (this is very important and if not they will be dry). It would be enough soaked  when you take the slice of bread and it looks like an sponge.
6. Beat the eggs and coat the bread slices in them. Be careful as the bread will be very soft and it could break. Use the hands or a spoon to help you.
7. Add a lot of oil in a deep pan and when it's very hot, fry the bread slices. Be careful when turning them around (using a spoon and a slotted spoon) so they don't fall to pieces. When golden brown, put them in a dish covered with kitchen paper.
8. Turn around a couple times in kitchen paper to leave it drain all the oil possible.
9. Once they are cold enough to touch them with your hands, there are different ways to finish them:
   • Mix in a plate sugar with cinnamon powder, coat the fried bread in the mixture.
   • In a small saucepan add honey and a spoon of water in low heat and mix. It would be done when the honey is not stick to the spoon. Coat the fried bread in the honey and add cinnamon powder.
   • Make a syrup with sugar and water and coat each fried slice. Add a bit of cinnamon powder.
10. Put the bread in a dish, trying to separate them enough so they don't mash each other.

I made two, sugar and cinnamon and honey, as each person likes something different. Now you can also start preparing your own French toast in the Spanish way, not only for Easter as they are amazing for breakfast around the different seasons.

Above is a photo of how they should look inside. The inside doesn't look like bread but as a cream.