Monkfish and new potato tagine

Serves 4-6

For the chermoula (marinade) you will need:

● 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 you will need:

● 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 tin of plum tomatoes

● 500g new potatoes, peeled and cut in to 2cm pieces or wedges

● 300ml water

● 1kg monkfish tail, trimmed and cut in to 2cm pieces (with chermoula marinade)

To serve you will need:

● 2 tablespoons roughly chopped coriander

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 one 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 an hour, if possible.

2 For the tagine, place a casserole pot or large saucepan over a medium heat, add the olive oil. When hot add in the onion, the carrot and the celery. Stir, then turn the heat down and cook for eight to 10 minutes until softened, then stir in the remaining one tablespoon of chermoula, the chopped preserved lemon, the tomatoes and the new potatoes. Season with salt and pepper then cook for five 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 six to eight 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, and some salad or couscous. ●