Month of July: “Purple Citrus Sweet Perfume” Recipe: Sauteed Monkfish with Rose Petal Salt

“Grief does not change you. It reveals you.” John Green

I stopped at the grocery store to get a fillet of monkfish. The rose petal salt was made days ago. A single red rose caught my eye in the floral department at the grocery store and I thought it might be a nice visual to spread some petals around the fish. While checking out, the cashier said with excitement, “Oh, a single red rose. It reminds me of Beauty and the Beast!” She laughed so heartily and I smiled and thought, “This is perfect.” These strange occurrences just keep happening. Synchronicity? Beginner’s mind?

This moment caused me to ponder about the concept of duality. Those childish fairy tales might not be such nonsense after all, huh? I guess we all the want the beauty without the beast, the pleasure without the pain, the life without the death. Or maybe beauty represents love and the beast is grief. This thought process then jogged my memory to recall this spot on passage from “Love Warrior” by Glennon Doyle. “Grief is love’s souvenir. It’s our proof that we once loved. Grief is the receipt we wave in the air that says to the world: Look! Love was once mine. I loved well. Here is the proof that I paid the price.” Maybe that is why I feel like I have been grieving all my life. And maybe, just maybe, the grief is ok because it means that love was mine and that I loved well. Honestly, what more can I ask for?

Ingredients: petals of 1 large unsprayed red rose washed and dried, 2 tablespoons Maldon salt, 1 1/2 pds monkfish fillet, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon ghee or clarified butter.

1. One day in advance make the rose petal salt. Place the petals and salt on a platter and rub together, don’t overwork the mixture. Transfer to a jar and let infuse overnight.
2. On the day of serving, cut the monkfish into 12 chunky pieces. Lightly oil the fish. Heat the clarified butter in a large skillet. Add the fish and cook turning one about 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve hot with a generous portion of rose petal salt on top.