Monkfish à l'Américaine

Pat the monkfish medallions thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. Season generously on all sides with salt and black pepper. Dice the onion, shallots, fennel and garlic. Crush the canned tomatoes by hand in a bowl. Measure out the cognac, white wine and fish stock.

Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-based sauté pan over high heat until shimmering. Sear the monkfish medallions for 2 minutes per side until deeply golden — do not move them once placed in the pan.

Remove the seared monkfish to a plate and reduce the heat to medium. Pour the cognac into the pan, tilt carefully to flambé, and let the flames subside completely — about 1 minute — scraping up the caramelised fond with a wooden spoon.

Add the butter, onion, shallots and fennel to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes until completely softened and beginning to turn golden at the edges.

Add the garlic, tomato purée, paprika and cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes until the purée darkens to a brick red and smells sweet.

Pour in the white wine, increase the heat to medium-high, and reduce by half — approximately 5 minutes — until the liquid is syrupy and the raw alcohol smell has cooked off.

Add the crushed tomatoes, fish stock, thyme, bay leaf and sugar. Stir to combine, bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for 15 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats a spoon.

Return the seared monkfish medallions and any resting juices to the pan, nestling them into the sauce. Cover and cook over low heat for 8 minutes, or until the monkfish reaches an internal temperature of 63°C when checked with a meat thermometer.

Remove the bay leaf. Remove the pan from the heat and swirl in the cold cubed butter piece by piece until the sauce is glossy and emulsified.

Scatter over the tarragon and parsley, taste for seasoning, and serve immediately with crusty sourdough or steamed rice.