Monkfish with Julienned Vegetables & Cream Sauce

Poor man's lobster. That's how this fabulous fish was often described. The tail meat is sweet, delicate and quite firm, and has a mild shellfish flavour because crustaceans are in fact a large part of the Monkfish's diet. Also called frog-fish and sea-devil, this rather ugly fish is very popular in French and Italian cuisine. Known as 'lotte' in french and 'coda di rospo' or 'rana pescatrice' in Italian, monkfish is a versatile fish that can be baked, poached, sautéed or served in soups and stews. In this wonderful recipe from 'La Cuisine: Everyday French Home Cooking' by famous french chef Françoise Bernard, buttery monkfish tail is sliced into thick medallions and served with a medley of gently simmered julienned vegetables, then garnished with a delicate fish velouté sauce made from the reduced cooking liquid of the poached monkfish, half a cup of crème fraîche, a soupçon of white flour and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, for a quite simple and yet absolutely delicious dinner. Over the years Monkfish has gained popularity and although no longer a “poor man’s food”, it is still less expensive than lobster and a perfect fish for special occasions.

Françoise Bernard's La Cuisine cookbook

Pouring the sauce over the monkfish and cooked julienne vegetables

Monkfish with Julienned Vegetables and Crème Fraîche Sauce

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of Françoise Bernard

2 tbsp butter

1/2 carrot, peeled and cut into julienne strips

1 leek, white part only, cut into julienne strips

1 small celery rib, cut into julienne strips

Four 6-oz monkfish filets, cut into generous 1-inch thick medallions 

3/4 cup dry white wine

Salt and pepper

Sauce:

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 cup crème fraîche

Salt and pepper

In a flameproof casserole, melt the butter over medium low heat. Add the carrot, leek and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the monkfish, wine, and 3/4 cup of water. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fish to a warmed serving dish. Strain the cooking liquid into a glass measuring cup and add the vegetables to the serving dish.

Make the sauce: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until it starts foaming. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid. Bring to a boil, whisking, then reduce the heat to very low and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the crème fraîche and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve.