Get Premium access to all the latest content online
Subscribe and view full print editions online... Subscribe
Monkfish, mussel, sweet potato and chickpea scented with ras el hanout
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 900g monkfish tail fillet, trimmed and cut into 2-3 pieces
- 4tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 11⁄2tbsp ras el hanout
- 1tsp sea salt flakes
- 2 long sweet red peppers (or use 1 jar shop-bought roasted red peppers, drained and sliced into strips)
- 1 sweet potato (approx. 350g)
- 250g mussels, cleaned and debearded
- 250ml good-quality fish stock
- 1 large onion, very finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 4 tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and chopped
- 2tbsp clear honey
- 11⁄2tbsp tomato purée
- 1 preserved lemon, flesh removed and skin finely chopped
- 1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained
- 12 black olives, pitted coriander leaves, to garnish
Method
Put the monkfish in a dish large enough to fit the pieces in a single layer. Mix 2tbsp oil and 1tbsp ras el hanout with 1tsp sea salt flakes. Rub the mixture evenly all over the fish and leave for 1 hour 15 minutes at a cool room temperature.
Meanwhile, cook the whole peppers under a hot grill until the skins blacken. Transfer to a bowl and cover with cling film. Once cool, remove the loose skins and slice the flesh into strips. Set aside. (If using peppers from a jar, you can skip this stage). Heat the oven to 200C/180C F/Gas 6. Put the sweet potato on a baking tray and cook for around 45 minutes until the flesh just gives when pierced with a skewer. Remove and discard the skin and cut the flesh into chunks.
While the sweet potato is in the oven, put the cleaned mussels in a large pan over a medium heat with a few tablespoons of fish stock and a sprinkling of sea salt flakes. Cook with the lid on for a few minutes until the shells just open, then drain in a colander set over a bowl. Discard any that don’t open and put the rest to one side, covered with damp kitchen paper. Pour the collected liquid into a jug, leaving any sediment behind in the bowl.
Heat the remaining 2tbsp oil in a large pan over a medium heat, add the onion and cook for a few minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, honey and tomato purée and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chopped lemon skin, mussel liquor, remaining fish stock and the chickpeas and cook for 15 minutes. Add the sweet potato flesh and monkfish and cook for 12 minutes.
Add the mussels, red pepper strips and olives and warm through for a few minutes. Remove the fish and slice into 2.5cm pieces. Plate all elements, scatter with coriander leaves and serve immediately.
This recipe featured in the May/June 2021 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe, click here.
Advertisement