Monkfish Crazy Water Style Recipes

MONKFISH WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Prepare the sauce: Combine heavy cream with garlic and anchovies. Boil this down until it gets thick--approximately 1 hour. (If it seems too thick, thin it out with water, chicken stock or more cream.)
• Cut the fillet into scallops and salt evenly on both sides. Allow them to sit for a half hour so that they will drain. After a half hour, dry off the liquid and brush off salt. Nick all around the edges of the fillets with a sharp knife. This allows the fillets to stay flat and cook more evenly.
• Heat the clarified butter in a saute pan. Coat fillets with instant or granulated flour, and then saute in clarified butter. The fillets should develop a crunch on the outside.
• Lightly steam the spinach and place on a plate. Dry off fillets on a towel and place them on a nest of spinach.
• Combine the minced tomatoes and the sherry vinegar and place the mixture on top of the fish.
• Drizzle cream sauce on top of the tomato concasse and then drape sauce around the plate.
• Wine: A young, fruity Saint Amour Beaujolais from Georges DuBeouf

FISH IN CRAZY WATER

Steps:

• Trim the spring onions and fennel (reserving any leafy tops), peel the carrot, then slice them all 1/2-centimeter-thick (1/4-inch-thick). Halve the tomatoes. Peel and finely slice the garlic and chilli. Squash and destone the olives. Put a large frying pan on a high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Stir in the onions, fennel and carrot, followed 4 minutes later by the tomatoes, garlic, chilli and olives. Toss regularly for 2 minutes while you lightly score the fish on both sides (this will help flavour and heat to penetrate as it cooks).
• Lay the fish on top of the veg, stuff half the herbs into the cavities, then pour over the wine and let it reduce by half. Add about 300 milliliters (10 ounces) of water, to come 1 centimeter (1/3 inch) up the side of the pan. Cover and leave to thunder away on a high heat for 8 minutes (boiling underneath, steaming on top means fragrant veggies). Pick the remaining herb leaves, finely grate the lemon zest over them, then chop and mix together.
• Uncover the fish and baste with its juices for 1 minute. To check the fish is cooked, go to the thickest part up near the head--if the flesh flakes easily away from the bone, it's done. Remove to a plate, spoon over the veg and juices, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, scatter over the lemony herbs, then squeeze over the lemon juice. Great served with bread to mop up that irresistible sauce, or with new potatoes, couscous or rice.