Catalan Monkfish Recipe

How To Prepare Catalan Monkfish?

Ingredients:

• 600g monkfish fillets

• 1 large head of garlic

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• Salt

• 3 tablespoon pine nuts

• A large pinch of saffron

• 1 cup tomato puree, fire-roasted if possible

• 3 tablespoons white wine or dry sherry

• 1 cup fish or chicken stock

• 2 tablespoons parsley, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the top quarter off the head of garlic & set it in a nest made of foil pour a little olive oil over the exposed garlic cloves, fold up the foil to cover & set the garlic in the oven to roast. Roast 45 minutes.
2. Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat. They're done when they start to brown a little. Move the nuts to a bowl so they don't overcook.
3. Set the monkfish out and salt it well.
4. When the garlic is done, open up the foil to let it cool. Add the pine nuts, the saffron & a good pinch of salt to a mortar & pestle. Grind them well, then squeeze the garlic cloves out & mash all this together until it becomes a paste.
5. Heat the frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining olive oil. Pat the fish dry with paper towels, then set it in the hot pan. The moment the fish hits the pan, move the pan around a little. Let the fish sear hard for 4 minutes. Turn the fish over & sear another 3 minutes. (Keep in mind this is for thick chunks of monkfish. If your fish is thin, sear only until you get a nice crust on one side.) Put the finished fish on a plate & set it in the oven, which will still be warm.
6. When all the fish is done, add the tomato puree, wine or sherry & the stock to the pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Boil this furiously until it reduces by half, then drop the heat to a simmer. Stir in the garlic/pine nut mixture with a fork until it is totally combined.
7. Move the fish to the pan and coat with the sauce. Serve garnished with parsley.
8. Then serve to your plates, this recipe is excellent with cooked potatoes.