BBQ Monkfish, Scallop ‘Thai Green Curry’ - A Food Evolution

Words by Paul Welburn

Dinner party dishes that are simultaneously nostalgic and delicious from the kitchen of Paul Welburn.

Extracted from Evolve by Paul Welburn (August 2025, HBK, £45). Available to order from A Way With Media

BBQ Monkfish, Scallop ‘Thai Green Curry’ 

I absolutely love the aromatic spices in a Thai curry. Thai flavours are ones I love to add to my dishes and here the velouté is enriched with cream. That’s not how they do it in Thailand, for sure, and the purists will hate it. However, it adds a richness and viscosity to the sauce that makes it more comforting. The dish retains the coconut and herbal notes that Thai curries are so well known for. Obviously you can remove the cream and have a more broth-like finish and it’s still delicious. The use of BBQ monkfish is perfect. The meaty texture and the smokey notes from the coals and the glaze just make a perfect marriage. Adding sweet, roasted, hand-dived scallops is luxury at its best and elevates the dish. The freshness from the apple and cucumber and the addition of more herbs give it bursts of freshness and a cleansing finish. I love this dish.

SERVES 20

Ingredients:

Monkfish: 

1 x 3kg monkfish 

2L water 

300g salt

Basil stalks

Zest of 1 lemon

100g brown butter (see basics)

50g soy sauce 

20g malt extract

10g lemon juice 

20g soft brown sugar 

50g rapeseed oil

Scallops: 

40 medium hand-dived scallops 

4 tsp rapeseed oil

50g salted butter 

Thai Green Curry Velouté:

Thai green paste (see basics)

3 tbsp rapeseed oil

6 tins coconut milk

2L double cream

5L fish stock

Thai Green Curry Infusion: 

1 bunch of Thai basil 

1 bunch coriander 

50g fish sauce

5 sticks lemongrass, bruised 

200g galangal, sliced

50gl lime juice

100g soy sauce 

10g kaffir lime leaves

6 green chillies, split 

Salt and pepper to taste 

500g baby spinach

To Serve:

Coriander cress

Thai basil cress

Basil cress

1cm Granny Smith apple, diced

1cm cucumber, diced

Mange tout, shredded

Pak choi, blanched

Method

Monkfish: 

First remove the skin from the monkfish and remove the loins from the bone. Remove any membrane and blood line from the loins. To make the brine, bring the water and salt, basil stalks and lemon zest to a boil. Remove and leave to cool down fully. Once chilled, place the monkfish loins into the brine and leave covered for 45 minutes. After, remove and wash quickly in cold water, pat dry and leave to dry on a tray in the fridge. Roll the loins tightly in cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 or 3 hours then cut into 120g portions. Remove the cling film from each portion and place individually into vacuum pack bags. Add a splash of rapeseed oil to each bag then seal. To make the glaze place the brown butter, soy sauce, malt extract, lemon juice and brown sugar into a saucepan and reduce by half. Cook the monkfish in a water bath at 64°C for 10 minutes. After, remove the portion from the bag and over a BBQ, caramelise the monkfish turning regularly, brushing with the glaze each time until a crust has formed. Remove when the core temperature is 52°C and rest before carving in half. 

Scallops: 

In a hot frying pan, add the rapeseed oil. Place the scallops, two at a time, into the pan and allow them to colour well on one side. When well coloured, add the butter and allow it to foam. Tilt the pan and with a spoon baste the scallops with the foaming butter for 1 minute. After, remove the scallops from the pan onto a tray and pour over the butter. Allow to rest then carve in two and serve. 

Thai Green Curry :

To make the velouté, in a large pan, add the oil and allow it to get smoking hot. Add the Thai green paste and cook over a high heat to cook the raw flavour out of the ingredients. Cook for around 5 minutes then add the fish stock, coconut milk and reduce by half. Add the double cream and again reduce by half. Once reduced, pass through a fine sieve and place back on the heat. Bring back to a simmer. Add the soy, lime juice and fish sauce and check the seasoning. Next, add the basil, coriander, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, chillies and galangal. Remove from the heat, cover and leave to infuse for 15 minutes before passing again through a fine sieve. In a liquidiser, add the spinach to the jug and some of the velouté. Blend until smooth and a vibrant green colour. Add this to the rest of the velouté and chill immediately. 

To Serve: 

Add the cucumber and apple to the base of a serving bowl. Spoon the hot Thai curry sauce over the top and add the scallops cut in half. Two scallops per person. Add the blanched pak choi and shredded mange tout. Next add the BBQ monkfish and top with a few sprigs of Thai basil cress and coriander cress. You can also finish with a drizzle of herb oil (see basics) and serve.

Paul Welburn will be opening an exciting new restaurant venture in Cornwall this autumn. Follow @paulwelburn for updates.