Monkfish with Piperade Sauce

Piperade or piperrada is a classic Basque pepper sauce that goes well with fish and chicken dishes. In this recipe, a whole monkfish tail is roasted and cooked in the sauce very slowly in the oven. The meaty texture of the fish is delicately enriched through the sweet piperade sauce.

📕 Recipe here

🔪 Ingredients
800gr monkfish tail on the bone, all sinew removed and rubbed with garlic
2 large shallots, finely sliced
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1/4 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
2 red peppers, finely sliced
2 Green peppers, finely sliced
4 beef tomatoes, extremely ripe and chopped into small cubes
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of thyme
½ Cup of txakoli or dry white wine
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

🔥 Method

In a medium sized sauce pan, gently warm 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the garlic and cook slowly until it begins to jump, add the shallots, peppers and chilli and cook gently for 10 minutes until very soft. Add the white wine and reduce slightly on a higher heat, add the chopped tomatoes, bay leaf and thyme and cook on a low heat for 20 minutes, you might need to add some water if the tomatoes are not too ripe.

In a roasting tin, heat the remaining oil and fry the monkfish tail until fully browned on all sides - about three minutes on each side, season with sea salt.

Pour in the piperade sauce and make sure the fish is half covered with the sauce. Place the tin in a preheated oven at 200˚C/400˚F/Gas Mark 6 and roast for 10 minutes, make sure you keep on basting the fish with the sauce and half way through turn the fish over.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with a bowl of sauté potatoes.