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Lotte a l'Armoricaine
Monkfish braised in a cognac-tomato shellfish sauce — Brittany's answer to lobster américaine at a fraction of the cost, and meatier for it
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- Monkfish tail, trimmed of membrane, 4 cm medallions — 900 g
- Olive oil — 40 ml
- Unsalted butter — 40 g
- Shallots, minced — 100 g
- Garlic, minced — 10 g
- Carrot, fine dice — 80 g
- Cognac — 50 ml
- Dry white wine — 200 ml
- Fish or shellfish stock — 300 ml
- Tomatoes, chopped — 400 g
- Tomato paste — 30 g
- Cayenne — 1 g
- Tarragon — 8 g
- Double cream — 60 ml
- Fine salt — 8 g
Method
- Season monkfish; sear hard in oil, 90 sec per side; remove (it finishes later).
- In the same pan, sweat shallots, carrot and garlic in butter, 5 min.
- Add tomato paste, cook 2 min; add Cognac and flambé.
- Add wine, reduce by half; add tomatoes, stock and cayenne. Simmer 25 min to a rich sauce.
- Blend the sauce smooth (or leave rustic), season, add cream and half the tarragon.
- Return monkfish; poach gently in the sauce 6–8 min to a core of 55 °C.
- Rest 2 min; finish with remaining tarragon.