It has been so hot this week, that the last thing I have wanted to do is spend time in the kitchen cooking dinner, and it was even too hot to barbecue.

I love cooking outdoors, but standing over hot coals in thirty-degree heat is a bit much for me to be honest.

I also find that on very hot days I just want something light and relatively simple to eat. Days like that are perfect for seafood.

After a long hot day this week, I came up with this lovely monkfish and prawn dish for dinner.

It is quick and easy to prepare, but so delicious. It is a one-pot dish, which will also save on the washing-up, and is served with a beautiful and fresh herby salsa verde.

The monkfish is pan-roasted and then basted with butter and finished with a little lemon juice, and then the prawns are cooked in the same pan using the beautiful lemony, buttery, juices from the monkfish.

Lovage is the main herb I use for this salsa verde. It is fabulous. You may well have some in your own garden, but if you do not and cannot find any in your local supermarket, pop into the nearest Polish supermarket and you will find it there.

If you have not tried lovage before, then give it a go. It has a lovely fresh celery-like flavour, with a hint of anise, and is perfect paired with many fish.

I adore monkfish. It has a gorgeous meaty texture and a mild flavour that really works with robust accompan-iments like this salsa. You could use sea bass instead if you wish, or some fresh scallops, both will work very well. This recipe serves three to four people.

Pan-roasted monkfish and king prawns with salsa verde recipe by:Colm O'Gorman A perfect dinner after a long hot day. Servings 4 Preparation Time 30 mins Cooking Time 15 mins Total Time 45 mins Course Main Cuisine Irish Ingredients 200g monkfish fillets 180g fresh king prawns Olive oil to cook A knob of butter A splash of fresh lemon juice Salsa Verde: 1 shallot onion 1 clove garlic 1 green chilli 3 tbsp red wine vinegar 25g fresh lovage 10g flat-leaf parsley 10g fresh basil 1 tbsp capers 1 tbsp brine from the capers 45ml extra virgin olive oil 3 anchovy fillets (optional) Salt and pepper ​ Method Peel the shallot and garlic. Wash and deseed the chilli. Roughly chop them all and pop them into a food processor. Pulse them until they are finely chopped and then transfer them to a bowl. Add the red wine vinegar and allow them to macerate for about five minutes, before straining off the vinegar, keeping it to one side until later. You can chop the lot by hand of course, but the food processor will make quick work of it, and save you some time and effort. Just make sure to pulse rather than whizz, you want everything to be finely chopped rather than pureed. Wash and dry the herbs. Finely chop them and set them to one side. You will make up the salsa verde just before you serve so that is fresh and herby. If you add the vinegar and shallots at this stage, the herbs will oxidise and turn a little brown which will not look so appealing. Lightly season the monkfish fillets with a little flaky sea salt. Divide them into the number of portions you want to serve. Heat a non-stick pan over high heat, and add a splash of olive oil. Add the monkfish to the pan and cook until golden brown on one side, then turn over and cook on the other side. Do not move the fish around in the pan too much as this will stop it from getting a lovely golden-brown coating and it may also break up the fish. When the fish is nicely coloured, add the butter to the pan. When it has melted and started to foam up, use a spoon to baste the fish with the butter, cooking it for another few minutes. If you have a meat thermometer, take the fish to 50° Celsius and it will be perfect. Finish it with a squeeze of lemon and remove from the pan. Rest the monkfish on a board for a few minutes while you cook the prawns and finish off the salsa verde. Pop the prawns into the same pan and cook them, stirring occasionally to make sure they are evenly cooked, beautifully pink all over and coated in the lovely juices and butter from the pan. This will only take a few minutes. When they are done, remove the pan from the heat and set to one side. Time now to finish the salsa verde. Chop the capers and the anchovies if you are using them, and add both to the bowl with the onions, garlic, and chilli. Add the caper brine, extra virgin olive oil and the chopped herbs and a tablespoon of the reserved red wine vinegar. Stir everything well to combine. Taste, and season with a little flaky sea salt if needed, and some black pepper. Add a little more of the reserved wine vinegar if you want a bit more tartness. Plate up a piece of the monkfish and some prawns per person and drizzle a generous amount of the salsa over the top. Serve with a simple salad, some crusty bread and maybe a nice cold glass of white wine. 

recipe by:Colm O'Gorman

A perfect dinner after a long hot day.

A splash of fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp brine from the capers

45ml extra virgin olive oil

Peel the shallot and garlic. Wash and deseed the chilli. Roughly chop them all and pop them into a food processor. Pulse them until they are finely chopped and then transfer them to a bowl.

Add the red wine vinegar and allow them to macerate for about five minutes, before straining off the vinegar, keeping it to one side until later. You can chop the lot by hand of course, but the food processor will make quick work of it, and save you some time and effort. Just make sure to pulse rather than whizz, you want everything to be finely chopped rather than pureed.

Wash and dry the herbs. Finely chop them and set them to one side. You will make up the salsa verde just before you serve so that is fresh and herby. If you add the vinegar and shallots at this stage, the herbs will oxidise and turn a little brown which will not look so appealing.

Lightly season the monkfish fillets with a little flaky sea salt. Divide them into the number of portions you want to serve.

Heat a non-stick pan over high heat, and add a splash of olive oil. Add the monkfish to the pan and cook until golden brown on one side, then turn over and cook on the other side. Do not move the fish around in the pan too much as this will stop it from getting a lovely golden-brown coating and it may also break up the fish.

When the fish is nicely coloured, add the butter to the pan. When it has melted and started to foam up, use a spoon to baste the fish with the butter, cooking it for another few minutes. If you have a meat thermometer, take the fish to 50° Celsius and it will be perfect. Finish it with a squeeze of lemon and remove from the pan.

Rest the monkfish on a board for a few minutes while you cook the prawns and finish off the salsa verde.

Pop the prawns into the same pan and cook them, stirring occasionally to make sure they are evenly cooked, beautifully pink all over and coated in the lovely juices and butter from the pan. This will only take a few minutes. When they are done, remove the pan from the heat and set to one side.

Time now to finish the salsa verde. Chop the capers and the anchovies if you are using them, and add both to the bowl with the onions, garlic, and chilli. Add the caper brine, extra virgin olive oil and the chopped herbs and a tablespoon of the reserved red wine vinegar. Stir everything well to combine.

Taste, and season with a little flaky sea salt if needed, and some black pepper. Add a little more of the reserved wine vinegar if you want a bit more tartness.

Plate up a piece of the monkfish and some prawns per person and drizzle a generous amount of the salsa over the top.

Serve with a simple salad, some crusty bread and maybe a nice cold glass of white wine. 

Read MoreHow to cook fish on a barbecue and why it's one of the safest foods to cook on coals

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