Monkfish tails American-style with clams

You asked us for more fish recipes in a casserole, and nothing more delicious than some monkfish tails in sauce, American-style and with clams. This is a truly exquisite recipe, first for its raw ingredient —we all know how exquisite monkfish is with every bite— and also for the rich flavor of the sauce that accompanies it.

I think the most curious thing about this recipe is its name, since it isn't a dish that comes from the Americas... Monkfish à la américaine actually originates in France, and in fact it wasn't even made with monkfish originally, but with lobster or crawfish: the traditional French recipe homard à la américaine (lobster à la américaine) was adapted to cook it with monkfish, which in the past was a low-valued fish accessible to many budgets. That's how monkfish à la americana became popular in Spain, a tasty dish without complications.

They say less is more, and that is certainly true when cooking fish: without grand flourishes, with this monkfish with clams recipe you can, with very little, prepare an ideal dish for a celebration, a regular Sunday, or to make every day special.

Monkfish is a delicate, white, mild-tasting fish, and the combination with clams makes it elegant. Even more so if we prepare it in the Fusiontec pot, the WMF iron casserole that will help you achieve fast and efficient cooking. In this case we used the Shallow Casserole, although you can do it exactly the same in the WMF tall casserole.

Cocotte low Fusiontec Cocotte from WMF

Ingredients

• 2 monkfish tails
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 small onion diced brunoise (cut very small)
• 1 shallot diced brunoise
• 750 ml fish stock
• 350 gr prawn heads and shells
• 1 small glass of Brandy
• 75 ml white wine
• 400 ml crushed tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• EVOO
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Tarragon
• Fresh parsley
• Flour
• 12 clams

The recipe is designed for two monkfish tails, ideal for serving 2 portions. You can make it for more diners by increasing the quantities proportionally.

Preparation

1. In our FusionTec casserole, add a drizzle of EVOO and sauté the onions, shallot 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 tablespoon of flour to give it body and sauté. Next add the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
4. Add the fish stock, the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and let cook for about 30-35 minutes.
5. Remove the shells and the bay leaf and blend. Return to our FusionTec and set aside.
6. Season with salt and pepper and dust the monkfish tails with flour. In a pan with a drizzle of EVOO fry them for about 4-5 minutes.
7. Bring them to our FusionTec, where the sauce is already ready and hot, and cook them another 5-6 minutes.
8. Add the clams and let them open, cooking over very low heat another 2-3 minutes with the FusionTec covered with the lid.
9. Sprinkle chopped parsley and serve accompanied by good sourdough bread to soak up that sauce, which tastes like food for angels.

Low Fusiontec Cocotte

NOTE: To make this recipe we used the Fusiontec Shallow Casserole, but if you want to make a larger batch you can make it exactly the same, proportionally increasing the ingredients, and cooking them in the High Fusiontec Cocotte.