Monkfish, tomato and bean stew
This summery fish stew has a tomato sauce laced with smoked paprika for a sophisticated Spanish-inspired flavour.
Ingredients
- 150²µ/5½´Ç³ú monkfish fillet, skinned and boned
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- ½ red pepper, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- ½ x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 x 400g tin or jar cannellini, butter or haricot beans (approx. 250g/9oz drained weight, but reserve a little of the liquid)
- 150ml/5fl oz vegetable stock (made with 1 tsp bouillon powder dissolved in 150ml/5fl oz boiling water)
- 100ml/3½fl oz dry white wine
- salt and pepper
To serve
Method
If it is not already diced, cut the monkfish into equal bite-sized pieces, around 3cm/1¼in. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat and then add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion and red pepper and gently fry for 4–5 minutes until softened and starting to colour.
Stir in the garlic, paprika, tomato purée and chopped tomatoes, and continue to cook for a further 1–2 minutes.
Add the beans (with a little of their liquid), stock and wine. Raise the heat to bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Stir the monkfish into the stew, return to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook gently for 8–10 minutes, until the fish is easy to flake apart. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Divide the stew between two bowls, sprinkle with the parsley and serve hot, with crusty bread or sourdough toast rubbed with garlic.
Recipe Tips
You could add some prawns or mussels (or both!) to this and make it a mixed fish stew for four.
At the end of step 4, you could pause and divide up the base into portions to chill or freeze for future use, continuing with the recipe at a later date. Simply return the sauce to the boil, followed by a simmer, before adding the fish.
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