Serves 4-6
For the chermoula
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
1 scant teaspoon salt
a handful of fresh coriander, stalks and leaves, roughly chopped
a pinch of saffron stems
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
the juice of a lemon
For the tagine
Ingredients:
1kg (2.2lbs) monkfish tail, trimmed and cut in to 2cm pieces
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 small celery stalks, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped preserved lemon
1 x 400g (14oz) tin of tomatoes
500g (1lb 2oz) Comber Earlies potatoes, peeled and cut in to 2cm pieces or wedges
300ml (10 fl.oz) water
To serve, you will need:
2 tablespoons roughly chopped coriander
Method:
1. First make the chermoula. Use a pestle and mortar to pound together the garlic, the chilli, the salt, the chopped coriander, the saffron and the cumin. Pound in the olive oil and the lemon juice to form a loose paste. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the chermoula, then place the rest in a mixing bowl with the monkfish, mixing well to cover the monkfish, and leave to marinate for 20-30 minutes, if possible.
2. Place a casserole pot or large saucepan over a medium heat, add the olive oil and when hot add in the onion, the carrot and the celery. Stir then turn the heat down and cook for 8-10 minutes until softened, then stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of chermoula, the chopped preserved lemon, the tomatoes and the Comber Earlies potatoes. Season with salt and pepper then cook for 5 minutes to allow the tomatoes to soften. Add the water and bring to the boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are almost cooked.
3. Add the monkfish with the chermoula marinade, gently cook for a further 6-8 minutes until the monkfish is opaque all the way through.
4. Season to taste, then divide between bowls and serve with the coriander scattered over the top, with grilled flatbreads on the side.
Grilled flatbreads
Makes 6
Ingredients:
175g (6oz) self-raising flour
Half teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
175g (6 fl.oz) natural yoghurt
Method:
1. Sift the flour and the baking powder into a mixing bowl then mix in the salt.
2. Add in all of the natural yoghurt then mix well to a dough. Tip out onto a clean work surface and knead the dough for just 2-3 minutes until smooth and a little springy to the touch.
3. Set the dough aside to rest on a floured work surface, covered with an upturned bowl for 10 minutes.
4. When the dough has finished resting (it can sit like this for an hour, or in the fridge for a few hours if you wish) cut it into 6 pieces, placing 5 back under the bowl.
5. With the first of dough, place it on the work surface and make it into a roll by rolling the palm of your hand over it until it’s nice and even. Now dust the work surface with some flour and the ball of dough into a round. It will be approximately 3 millimetres thick and 18 centimetres in diameter.
6. Repeat with all the pieces of dough, setting them aside on a floured work surface, not stacked on top of each other as they may stick to each other.
7. Place a grill-pan or a frying pan, whichever you’re using, on a medium to high heat and allow to get hot.
8. Place a flatbread on the pan and cook for a couple of minutes until the underside has deep brown lines from the grill pan, or spots from the frying pan, whichever you’re using. Flip over and cook on the second side in the same way.
9. When each flatbread is ready, either serve them straight away or stack them on top of each other and then serve all at once. Stacking them straight off the pan keeps them lovely and soft rather than going crisp.
10. Serve whole or cut into wedges.
