Recipe for Monkfish with cream of peas ”a la Francaise”
Monkfish is one of those incredibly ugly fish, but in this case, let your taste buds rule as the tail of this fish is as succulent and many would argue as tasty as lobster. As a bonus, this “poor man’s lobster” is almost all tail – no claws or pinchers. However, it is incredibly hard to skin, ask your fishmonger to do the hard work for you. Monkfish liver is also quite popular with chefs and culinary “hounds” it is the fish equivalent of foie gras.
On a recent trip to Uzès, Chef Eric Fraudeau of Cook’n with Class (Uzès and Paris) created this recipe for Monkfish with cream of peas at a market cooking class. It was delicious and a clever pairing of the pea soup base with the smoky bacon.
- 1 filet Monkfish cut into 6 big pieces
- 1 medium Onion thinly chopped
- 500 gr / 17.6 oz Fresh or Frozen Peas
- 100 gr / 3.50 oz Heavy cream (35%)
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 200 gr / 7.1 oz Smoked Bacon diced quarter inch or 1 cm side
- 300 gr / 10.6 oz Yellow Squash or other hearty vegetable
- 100 gr / 3.5 oz Butter
- 2 tbsp Sunflower oil
- to taste Salt and Pepper
- In a pan, add 50 gr of butter
- Cook the onion a few seconds
- Add the peas, the chicken stock, salt and pepper to taste
- Cook for 10 minutes
- Add the cream and blend right away
- Add the rest of the butter, combine, then set aside and reserve
- In a large fry pan, cook the bacon with the sunflower oil
- Remove the cooked bacon and drain the bacon on a paper towel
- In the same pan, keep the fat from the bacon and cook the pieces of monkfish
- Season well, and finish the cooking in the oven for an additional 30 minutes.
- If you are using yellow squash, use a melon baller and make at least 18 balls
- Boil them in salt water for 2 minutes, set aside and reserve
- To serve... Plate with the cream of pea in the bottom, add 3 pieces of bacon, and 3 balls of squash. Add the fish in the middle and serve hot. Enjoy!
Monkfish (also known as Angler-fish) is a delicious and dense fish with a mild flavour that stands up well in soups and stews. If you cannot find it readily available it is easily substituted with cod, haddock, halibut or even sea scallops that are all similar in flavour and texture.
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