An Ad Hoc Valentine's Day: Roasted Monkfish over Leeks and Romesco Sauce

My love affair with Ad Hoc at Home continued this weekend as I prepared Thomas Keller's Roasted monkfish with baby leeks and Romesco Sauce. Romesco is a Spanish sauce made with tomato, red pepper, bread, and a few other ingredients. It's a sauce I've made many times before, typically served on grilled scallions. Keller's recipe was slightly different so I tried his for a change. It was delicious - a bit sweeter than my other recipe.



I couldn't find baby leeks, so I got some regular leeks, trimmed the roots leaving the bottoms intact so the leeks didn't fall apart and then follow the recipe in Ad Hoc for Baby leeks. The fish I did exactly as he said, but cooked mine a bit longer - the pieces of fish were quite thick as you can see from the picture. Flown in fresh that morning, this was the best monkfish we've ever had. I thank both my fish guy who special ordered it for me as well as Chef Keller!

Pair this fish with other sides or sauces if you prefer. It's a great preparation that would go nicely with any number of combinations. Bottom line, follow Keller's method and you simply can't go wrong! I cut the recipes in half and made a few modifications, so my version are below. The fish is exactly Keller's but with half the ingredients. The others I modified a bit...

Roasted monkfish
adapted from Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller

2 8-ounce monkfish tail fillets
Canola oil (to coat the pan)
Kosher salt
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, smashed, skin left on
3 medium rosemary sprigs
Romesco sauce, warmed (see below)
Baby leeks (see below)

Remove the fish from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Heat some canola oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until it just smokes. Season the fish with salt then place it in the pan, presentation side down (the rounded side). Cook until the first side is pale golden. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the pan and let it melt. Add the second tablespoon and let that melt (adding them at the same time could lower the temperature in the pan). Once the butter has browned, tilt the pan and baste the fish as you continue to cook it until it is a rich golden brown on the first side, 1-2 more minutes.

Turn the fish over and cook, basting continuously with the butter, until it is a rich golden brown on the second side, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and rosemary to the pan, and continue to baste the fish as the aromatics flavor the butter. Cook until the temperature in the center of the fish is 145F. (Keller says 1-2 minutes, mine took about 5).

Spread the Romesco on a plate. Top with a few leeks. Then place the fish on top. If you want, finish with some good extra virgin olive oil and Maldon Sea Salt.

Baby Leeks

12 baby leeks, or 4 regular leeks, trimmed and halved lengthwise so they don't fall apart
3 Tbsp. chicken stock
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice water bath. Set out a cooling rack and line with paper towels.

Trim the dark green parts from the leeks and rinse well under warm water. Blanch the leeks for about 6 minutes until just tender. Immediately transfer to the ice water bath to cool, then place on the rack to drain.

Remove the outer layer from each leek. Bring the stuck to a simmer in a medium saute pan. Whisk in the butter one piece at a time to make an emulsification. Add the leeks and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Romesco Sauce

1 dried sweet chile (I used New Mexico, but Nora or Pasilla would also work)
3 plum tomatoes, cored and halved lengthwise
1/2 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
1/2 onion
1 garlic clove
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil
3 crustless 2-in cubes country bread
1/8 cup slivered almonds
1 Tbsp. sherry vinager
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
3/4 tsp. piment d'espelette (I used a pinch of cayenne and a pinch of smoked paprika instead)

Preheat over to 400F.

Remove the seed and stem from the chile. Put it in a small bowl, cover with warm water and soak for 30 minutes.

Put the tomatoes, bell pepper, onion and garlic ina roasting pan and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Turn the tomatoes and pepper cut side down. Roast for one hour, until the vegetables are well-browned with some charring. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Remove the skins from the tomatoes and pepper. Discard the outer layer of the onion. Reserve any liquid in the pan.

Heat some canola oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the bread and toast until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan. Add the nuts and toast until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to a plate.

Drain the chile. Put it in a blender with the tomatoes, pepper, onion, garlic, and reserved liquid. Blend until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes about 1 cup. Refrigerate covered for up to 2 weeks.

Best. Brownies. Ever.

Two words: Thomas Keller. For those familiar with the man who's arguably the greatest chef in America, it should come as no surprise that I've titled this post as I have. For those unfamiliar with him, consider these brownies a tasty introduction. Rich, fudgy, and simply divine, I'll never make another brownie recipe again. 

This recipe appears in Chef Keller's latest cookbook: Ad Hoc at Home. I was fortunate enough to meet the chef at a book signing in November; he's friendly and encouraging to cooks of all skill levels. If you're intimidated by The French Laundry, check out this book. This recipe alone is worth it.

A couple of notes on the recipe: I used a glass pan and I dusted it with cocoa instead of flour to avoid any white on the outside of my brownies. (And really, why not add more cocoa?) I also had to bake them quite a bit longer than 45 minutes so have your cake tester ready. Finally, alkalized cocoa may sound unusual, but I was happy to find that the cocoa I had in my pantry from Penzey's was alkalized. So check your label. Finally, I didn't have 61% to 64% chocolate on hand so I use 3 ounces 67% and 3 ounces semi-sweet.

Now quit reading and make these brownies. (Get a glass of cold milk ready, too.)

Brownies
from Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup alkalized cocoa powder
1 tsp. Kosher salt
3/4 pound unsalted butter, cut into 1 Tbsp pieces
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla paste or extract
6 ounces 61% to 64% chocolate, chopped into chip-sized pieces
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9-inch baking pan (Chef Keller recommends silicone, but glass or metal will work fine.) Set aside.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder and salt; set aside.

Melt half the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Put the remaining butter in a medium bowl. Pour the melted butter over the bowl of butter and stir to melt the butter. The butter should look creamy, with small bits of unmelted butter, and be at room temperature.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, mix together the eggs and sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until thick and very pale. Mix in the vanilla. On low speed, add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then 1/3 of the butter, and continue alternating the remaining flour and butter. Add the chocolate and mix to combine. (The batter can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)

Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a cake tester or wooden skewer poked into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. If the pick comes out wet, test a second time, because you may have hit a chocolate chip: then bake for a few minutes longer if necessary. Cool in the pan until the brownies are just a bit warmer than room temperature.

Run a knife around the edges if not using a silicone mold and invert onto a cutting board. Cut into 12 rectangles. Dust the top with powdered sugar just before serving.