Surf and Turf, French Laundry style

In a burst of energy (or perhaps a moment of weakness), I decided to have a go at another French Laundry recipe on Saturday night. I selected "Surf and Turf", braised oxtails with seared monkfish, topped with sauteed salsify and cepes. Pretty ambitious considering I was unsure of finding any of the main ingredients...



Thus began the shopping trip. I started at my local farm market... no cepes or salsify there, but I got the makings for the brunoise and the braising liquid. Next morning, off I went again. At my first stop I found oxtails - ok I now had 1 of 4 main ingredients. I grabbed a package of crimini mushrooms just in case I couldn't find cepes. Then I moved onto the next store...



As I neared the seafood counter, a glistening piece of monkfish caught my eye. But it was just one lonely piece - I had a bad feeling... I asked the fishmonger if it was fresh and he very honestly shook his head no... Well, that fish was not for me, thank you very much. I rounded the corner to produce and was greeted by a beautiful sight: a whole line of D'Artagnan gourmet mushrooms... But, no cepes. I grabbed come royal trumpets which worked out beautifully. No salsify there either. At that point I decided I could live without salsify, but I could not make surf and turf without the surf...



I pulled into a little seafood market in Westfield, NJ, and walked in. I scanned the counter and saw two beautiful pieces of what looked like monkfish tail, but the sign said... catfish??? So I asked and I was right, monkfish! I carried my trreasure home and got started...



In lieu of typing the entire recipe, I'm going to save myself from a case of carpal tunnel and instead share a link directly to it. Needless to say, I left out the salsify and we didn't miss it. The oxtails had a rich full flavor - similar to that of braised shortribs. The fish was mild, and perhaps a bit overpowered by the rich beef. The Royal Trumpet mushrooms were meaty and delicious atop the whole thing. I served it with a simple salad of mache, jicama and sliced avocado with a dijon vinaigrette. A dish I would definitely make again - perhaps after I try a few more of Keller's concoctions... So check back to see when I get the French Laundry out again!

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.

Moroccan Fish Tagine: A New Favorite!

I'm not sure how my husband managed to eat this meal since he seemed to spend the whole time singing its praises... but there wasn't a scrap left in his dish at the end. About 6 months ago, my sister gave me an authentic Moroccan tagine - a terracotta pot with a cone-shaped lid. The lid has a single little hole in one side near the top to let just a little steam out. Most of the moisture stays inside, creating moist tender dishes. So far, I've only used it for chicken. But she also gave me a copy of Ghillie Basan's cookbook called Tagine: Spicy Stews from Morocco, so I decided to give this one a go.

The ingredients are pretty basic, so don't let the fact that it is Moroccan deter you. No tagine? Just use a heavy pot with a lid. (It won't look as cool on the stove, but it'll taste great.)




Tagine of Monkfish, Potatoes, Cherry Tomatoes and Black Olives
adapted from Tagine: Spicy Stews from Morocco by Ghillie Basan

• About 1 lb. monkfish, cut into chunks
• 4 new potatoes
• 3 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 1 pat of butter
• 3-4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 12-16 cherry or grape tomatoes
• about 12 fleshy black olives - I used Kalamata
• 1 green bell pepper, broiled until black, peeled and then cut into strips
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• lemon wedges, to serve

For the Chermoula

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp. coarse salt
• 1 heaping tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 red or green chile, seeded and chopped
• freshly squeezed juice of one lemon
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• a small bunch of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

First, make the chermoula. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic with the salt to a smooth paste. Add the cumin and chile and mash a bit. Add the lemon juice and olive oil. Finally, stir in the cilantro. Put the fish in a shallow dish and rub it with about three quarters of the chermoula. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Reserve the remaining chermoula.

Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to a boil and drop in the potatoes. Boil vigorously until almost cooked, but still a bit hard - the original recipe says 8 minutes for small potatoes. I did mine about 11 but probably could have let them go a minute or two longer. Remove them from the water and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil with the pat of butter in the bottom of a tagine or heavy bottomed pan. Add the garlic and stir. When the garlic starts to brown, add the tomatoes to soften them a bit. Add the peppers and the reserved chermoula. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Tip this mixture onto a plate.

Arrange the potatoes over the bottom of the tagine and spread half of the tomato mixture over them. Place the chunks of marinated fish over the center then spoon the rest of the tomato mixture over the top. Tuck the olives in around the fish and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Pour in about 1/2 cup of water. Cover and let steam for 15-20 minutes, until the fish and potatoes are cooked through. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.