American monkfish tails with clams

You asked us for more recipes for fish in a cocotte , and there is nothing more delicious than monkfish tails in sauce, American style and with clams . This is a truly exquisite recipe, firstly because of its raw material - we all know how exquisite monkfish is in every bite - and also because of the great flavour of the sauce we accompany it with.

I think the most curious thing about this recipe is its name, as it is not a recipe from the Americas... American-style monkfish actually comes from France, and in fact it was not even made with monkfish, but with lobster: the traditional French recipe homard was adapted à la américaine (American-style lobster) to cook it with monkfish, which was once a little-valued fish and affordable for many people. This is how American-style monkfish became popular in Spain, a tasty dish without complications.

They say that less is more, and that is certainly the case when cooking fish: without any frills, with this recipe for monkfish with clams you can, with very little, prepare an ideal dish for a day of celebration, any given Sunday or to make every day a special day.

Monkfish is a fine, white fish with a mild flavour, and the combination with clams makes it elegant. Even more so if we prepare it in the Fusiontec pot , the WMF cast iron cocotte that will help you cook quickly and efficiently. In this case we have used the low saucepan, although you can do it exactly the same in the WMF high cocotte .

Cocotte WMF Fusiontec low

Ingredients

• 2 monkfish tails
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped (chopped small)
• 1 shallot, chopped into brunoise
• 750 ml of fish stock
• 350 gr of shrimp heads and shells
• 1 small glass of Brandy
• 75 ml white wine
• 400 ml crushed tomato
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• EVOO
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Tarragon
• Fresh parsley
• Flour
• 12 clams

The recipe is designed to be made with two monkfish tails, and is ideal for serving 2 portions. You can make it for more people by increasing the quantities proportionally.

Preparation

1. In our FusionTec cocotte , add a splash of EVOO and sauté the spring onions, shallots and garlic for a few minutes over medium heat.
2. Add the bay leaf and tarragon, along with the prawn heads and shells, and flambé with the brandy.
3. Add a spoonful of flour to thicken it and sauté. Then add the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
4. Add the fish stock, sauce and tomato paste and cook for about 30-35 minutes.
5. Remove the peel and bay leaf and blend. Return to our FusionTec and set aside.
6. Season the monkfish tails with salt and pepper and coat them in flour. Fry them in a frying pan with a dash of EVOO for 4-5 minutes.
7. We take them to our FusionTec, where we already have the sauce ready and hot and we cook them for another 5-6 minutes.
8. Add the clams and allow them to open, cooking over very low heat for another 2-3 minutes with the FusionTec covered with the lid.
9. We sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with good sourdough bread to spread that sauce, which tastes like angel food.

Fusiontec low cocotte

NOTE: To make this recipe we have used the Fusiontec low saucepan, but if you want to make it in larger quantities you can do it exactly the same, increasing the ingredients proportionally, and cooking them in the Fusiontec high Cocotte.