Fried Monkfish with a Vinaigrette of sundried Tomatoes and seasonal Herbs

Ingredients

8 pieces of monkfish tail
8 to 9 sun-dried tomato-halves per person
1 small shallot, chopped very fine
3 tbsp mixed and chopped herbs: Either a) lemon thyme, rosemary (young leaves) and basil or b) dill, chervil, marjoram, lovage and chives. Use rosemary and lovage sparingly, because they tend to be too dominating.
1 tbsp chopped parsley, preferably the flat-leafed kind
1 pressed garlic clove
1 fresh and very young bayleaf, chopped extremely fine
pepper, freshly ground, and salt
8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1tsp olive oil
1 tsp unsalted butter

Preparation

Cut the dried tomatoes in very fine strips and just cover them with piping hot water. Let them stand for about 20 minutes, then drain. Mix the olive oil and vinegar and add the mixed herbs, parsley, bay, garlic and shallot. Season with pepper and salt to your taste. Let this vinaigrette stand for an hour. Taste it again and balance the flavour, if necessary by adding more of one or another herb, pepper or salt. Put aside until needed.

Melt the butter in a pan, add the oliveoil and heat until it has stopped foaming. Fry the monkfish quite fast but not too long, so it doesn’t get dried out. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. After lifting the fish out of the pan, pat it carefully dry with some kitchen paper.

Serve with the vinaigrette and the herbs on top. The fish needs some oil and vinegar on it  as well as the tomatoes and herbs, but be careful not to have them lying in a big oily pool. Serve with rice and a vegetable of your choice. Courgettes go well with the fish.

Since monkfish is not always available and can be quite expensive, I sometimes use fresh scallops instead. Depending on the size, you will need 3 – 5 per person. If you dare, flambé the scallops with a dash of cognac or brandy! The taste is wonderful.