This very tasty recipe is easy to make and prepare. Monkfish has lovely white flesh and a good meaty, firm texture. This makes a good contrast on your plate with the dark mussel shells, green vegetables and the orange red broth. Perfect for entertaining friends.

Prep time for  Monkfish and mussels will be about 16-20 minutes allow 16-20 minutes cooking time

Quantities below are to serve four people

Ingredients for Monkfish with Mussels

4 x 180g Monkfish Tails from Walter Purkis and Sons
60g garlic herb butter, diced and chilled
1 carrot, peeled into ribbons, blanched and refreshed
1 courgette, sliced and cooked until tender
1 leek sliced into rings and boiled until tender
4 potatoes boiled and sliced

Mussel Broth

20 Mussels from Walter Purkis and Sons
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
125ml apple juice
125ml fish stock from Walter Purkis and Sons
1 tbsp chopped carrot
1 tbsp chopped onion
1 tbsp chopped celery
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp white peppercorns
1/4 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1 sprig parsley
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig tarragon
1 bay leaf

Cooking Method for Monkfish with Mussels

Mussel Broth

In a pan that will be big enough to take all the mussels, sweat the vegetables and garlic in a little oil for about 5 minutes then add the tomatoes, peppercorns, seeds, herbs, and tomato paste. Cook for a further 5 minutes then add the mussels, cover with a lid, and cook until the mussels open.
Remove the mussels with a slotted spoon and reserve. Discard any mussels that do not open.
Add the fish stock and apple juice to the pan and bring to the boil. Then turn to simmer and cook out for about 20 minutes then strain through a sieve.

Monkfish

Season the monkfish and fry in a hot non stick pan in a little oil until cooked through, approximately 6 minutes, turning regularly.

To assemble Monkfish and Mussels

Warm the mussel broth and add the vegetables and mussels to warm through, whisk in the garlic herb butter a little at a time.

Divide some of the vegetables into the serving bowls, top with the fish, then spoon any remaining vegetables and mussels over the fish, along with the mussel broth.

This Monkfish and Mussels recipe comes from www.fishisthedish.co.uk – give them a visit for more fish recipes