Fried monkfish with curried sweet potato broth

Fried monkfish with curried sweet potato broth. Photograph: Harry Weird
Fried monkfish with curried sweet potato broth. Photograph: Harry Weird
Serves: 4
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 0 hr 40 mins

Ingredients

  • A generous knob of butter
  • 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
  • A medium piece of ginger, peeled and shredded
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 2tsp curry powder
  • 1tsp turmeric
  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½cm dice
  • 80g orange lentils, soaked in cold water for 30 mins
  • 60g dried apricots, sliced
  • 850ml chicken or vegetable stock
  • 8 x 1cm slices of monkfish from the thick end
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Sprinkling of garam masala
  • Sunflower oil for cooking
  • Squeeze of lime
  • Fresh coriander to garnish

1 Melt the butter then add the onion, ginger and garlic. Cook over a medium heat for five minutes till they start to soften, then add the spices.

2 Cook for two more minutes then add the sweet potato, drained lentils and apricots.

3 Turn everything together, then add the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 30 minutes until everything is soft and melting. Season and set aside.

4 Lay the monkfish out on a tray, season and sprinkle lightly with garam masala.

5 Heat the oil in a non-stick pan until it is gently smoking. Fry the monkfish in batches. It should take no more than a couple of minutes on each side. Keep the first batch warm and cook the second.

6 Squeeze the lime over the monkfish, then serve on top of the reheated broth with some fresh coriander on top.

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn is a chef, restaurateur and contributor to The Irish Times. He and his wife, Máire, run the Tannery restaurant and cookery school in Dungarvan, Co Waterford