This sauce is delicious with the monkfish. Puy lentils have a lovely peppery flavour and don’t lose their texture when cooked.

Monkfish Recipe with Puy Lentils, Tomato and Ginger Sauce – Recipe by Bord Bia

Serves 4
Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 monkfish tail, weighing 500g, approx., cut into 4 fillets
• 100g Puy lentils
• 2 tablesp. olive oil
• 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 3cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 small red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tablesp. tomato purée
• 50mls white wine
• 400g tin tomatoes
• 1 tablesp. parsley, chopped
• 1 tablesp. coriander, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• A knob of butter

Method:

1. To serve: Crusty bread and a green salad
2. To cook the lentils: Place the lentils in a sauce pan and cover with water.  Cover with a lid and bring to the boil then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and rinse.  Set aside.
3. For the sauce: Place a large saucepan over a medium heat and add one tablespoon of the oil. Cook the shallots, garlic, ginger and chilli until soft but not coloured. Add the tomato purée and white wine and cook for a further 3 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes to the pan and gently simmer until the sauce thickens.  Add the lentils, parsley and coriander. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside
5. To cook the monkfish: Place a large frying pan over a medium to high heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Then add a knob of butter. As soon as the butter begins to sizzle, season the monkfish fillets then add them to the pan and cook until golden on one side, this will take 3-4 minutes. Turn and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Add any juice from the pan into the sauce.
6. To serve: Spoon the sauce onto four plates, cut the monkfish into thick slices and place on top of the sauce. Serve with crusty bread and a green salad.