Monkfish in tomato sauce also known as "Rapet amb suc"

This is one of my dad specialties and it is supreme. He always says that if he had a restaurant, monk fish in tomato sauce would be its hallmark. It might seem complicated and it is indeed. Okay, not complicated-complicated, it is just elaborate and you don't stop putting in and out things of the same skillet. But your kitchen will smell divine and the expectations of a delicious fish and a nice bread slice to wipe the even more delicious sauce sure worth it.

First of all, put seashells in salted water to clean them up, change the water a couple of times. Start peeling shrimps if you are using fresh ones, if they are frozen, like in our case, take them off the fridge to thaw. 

Grab a dish with some flour. Throw the pieces of monk fish into the flour, one by one. Turn it over (hey! that's my dad's hand!). Not much flour is needed, it is just a touch to help the monk fish getting a nice blond color. Repeat the same procedure but into a hot large skillet with oil instead of the flour dish. Just a touch. Once the pieces are done set aside.

Feel free to add more oil if needed.

Let's continue with the touch thing... First the shrimp... till they got a nice color. Set aside.

Second the shells. Cover the skillet some minutes and... they are going to star popping! Don't remove until all the shells are open. If one or two don't, just throw them away. Remove the juice too, the sauce would be too soupy then. Set aside.

Meanwhile, grate some tomatoes (¿?). My dad's hands again and some weird looking tomato juice...

Mince a wild/spring garlic and an onion very nicely, we don't want to find onion chunks... Also chop some nuts with the mortar (or buy them already chopped, I won't tell anybody).

Now is when the things start being serious, serious in a super-yummy way. Add the minced onion into the hot skillet in LOW HEAT. You got to be patient here. Wait and stir occasionally. Oh, you can smell too. But don't sniff if somebody is watching...  

Add the tomato juice when the onion is blond. Little secret: if you see that the juice you got is not enough, add a bit of bottled tomato juice, shhhh ;)

Spice it up with some salt and pepper. Yeah, more pepper please. Then the chopped nuts. Stir and let it boil some minutes.

Add the fish pieces. Cover it up until the lid looks like...

THIS! 10 minutes approximately.

Then add the shrimps. This is the world before seashell invasion...

This is how it looks like post-invasion.

After few seconds turn the heat off and that will be it! We can't forget bread slices...

Lunch is ready! yum yum! 

Wipe, wipe, wipe. Wiping clean.

MONK FISH IN TOMATO SAUCE { rapet amb suc }

Serves 4-5

• 6 large tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 spring/wild garlic
• chopped nuts
• 200g shrimp
• +/- 400g shell
• 4-5 monk fish pieces
• flour
• oil
• salt and pepper

1. Clean the shells in salted water. Peel the shrimps.

2. Coat in flour, one by one, the monk fish pieces. Fry them till they look blond in a hot skillet. Remove from heat and set aside. Always in low heat.

3. Fry in the same skillet the shrimps just a few minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Throw the shells into the skillet and cover it. Remove when they open and set aside.

5. Grate the tomatoes. 

6. Mince the onion and the spring garlic nicely. Fry them lightly. When they have taken a nice blond color, add the tomato juice.

7. Spice it and add the chopped nuts. Stir and let it come to boil.

8. Add the fish monk pieces, put the lid on.

9. After 10 minutes approximately, add the shrimps and the shells.

Love,

Adela*