This recipe for rice with monkfish, saffron and red peppers is from Rick Stein's Spain book. We bought the book after going on a food and wine tour in Rioja with friends in 2011. We already loved rioja wine before we went…but oh my goodness, the food was just amazing!! I’ve since made a few of the recipes out of the book, but this one has got to be one of my favourites – I just LOVE it!! The Spanish flavours are just delicious and incredibly moreish.
It’s a great dish to make if you’re having family or friends round for dinner…although we’re currently in lockdown due to the COVID 19 pandemic, so it might be a while until we can do that again!!
Here's a link to the recipe on the archive of BBC food recipes.
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Tip
- I think you’d be able to halve the recipe if you’re only cooking for 2 and have some leftovers for another day.
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Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 75g shallots, finely chopped
- 1 small head garlic, cloves separated, peeled, finely chopped
- 0.5 tsp pimentón dulce (smoked sweet Spanish paprika), plus extra for seasoning the fish
- pinch crushed dried chillies
- 200g vine or beef tomatoes, halved
- 1 litre fish stock
- 0.5 tsp loosely packed saffron strands
- 1.5 tsp salt plus extra for seasoning the fish
- 400g short-grain paella rice, such as Calasparra
- 1 large roasted red pepper or 3 jarred pimientos
- 500g monkfish fillet, trimmed of all membrane then cut across into 1cm thick slices
Instructions
- Grate the halved tomatoes, pressing the fleshy, cut face of the tomato against the grater. (As you grate each tomato half, the skin will flatten out and be left behind.) Discard the skin.
- Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in a 28 to 30cm cazuela or shallow flameproof casserole, add the shallot and fry gently for 10 minutes or until soft and sweet but not browned. Add the garlic, pimentón and chillies and fry for 2 minutes more, then stir in the tomatoes and cook until they have broken down into a sauce.
- Stir in the fish stock, saffron and 1.5 tsp of salt and bring to the boil. Sprinkle in the rice, stir once, then leave to simmer vigorously over a medium to high heat for 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the roasted red pepper or jarred pimientos into 1cm wide strips, removing and discarding any skin or seeds. Sprinkle them over the top of the rice and shake the pan briefly so they sink into the mixture a little. Lower the heat and leave to simmer gently for another 12 minutes. At the end of this time almost all the liquid should be absorbed and the rice will be pitted with small holes.
- Shortly before the rice is ready, pat the monkfish pieces dry on kitchen paper and season well with salt and a little pimentón. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the monkfish slices a few at a time and fry over a high heat for 1 minute on either side until very lightly coloured and almost cooked through.
- Lay the pieces of fish on top of the rice, turn off the heat and cover the cazuela or casserole with a clean tea towel, opened-out newspaper or lid. Leave to rest for 5 minutes, during which time the monkfish will finish cooking through.
- Maybe enjoy with some homemade bread on the side and definitely a glass of rioja?!
Rice with Monkfish, Saffron and Red Peppers
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 75g shallots finely chopped
- 1 small head garlic cloves separated, peeled, finely chopped
- 0.5 tsp pimentón dulce smoked sweet Spanish paprika, plus extra for seasoning the fish
- pinch crushed dried chillies
- 200g vine or beef tomatoes halved
- 1 litre fish stock
- 0.5 tsp loosely packed saffron strands
- 1.5 tsp salt plus extra for seasoning the fish
- 400g short-grain paella rice such as Calasparra
- 1 large roasted red pepper or 3 jarred pimientos
- 500g monkfish fillet trimmed of all membrane then cut across into 1cm thick slices
Instructions
- Grate the halved tomatoes, pressing the fleshy, cut face of the tomato against the grater. (As you grate each tomato half, the skin will flatten out and be left behind.) Discard the skin.
- Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in a 28 to 30cm cazuela or shallow flameproof casserole, add the shallot and fry gently for 10 minutes or until soft and sweet but not browned. Add the garlic, pimentón and chillies and fry for 2 minutes more, then stir in the tomatoes and cook until they have broken down into a sauce.
- Stir in the fish stock, saffron and 1.5 tsp of salt and bring to the boil. Sprinkle in the rice, stir once, then leave to simmer vigorously over a medium to high heat for 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the roasted red pepper or jarred pimientos into 1cm wide strips, removing and discarding any skin or seeds. Sprinkle them over the top of the rice and shake the pan briefly so they sink into the mixture a little. Lower the heat and leave to simmer gently for another 12 minutes. At the end of this time almost all the liquid should be absorbed and the rice will be pitted with small holes.
- Shortly before the rice is ready, pat the monkfish pieces dry on kitchen paper and season well with salt and a little pimentón. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the monkfish slices a few at a time and fry over a high heat for 1 minute on either side until very lightly coloured and almost cooked through.
- Lay the pieces of fish on top of the rice, turn off the heat and cover the cazuela or casserole with a clean tea towel, opened-out newspaper or lid. Leave to rest for 5 minutes, during which time the monkfish will finish cooking through.
- Maybe enjoy with some homemade bread on the side and definitely a glass of rioja?!
Notes
- I think you’d be able to halve the recipe if you’re only cooking for 2 and have some leftovers for another day.
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