This week's recipe meets all the requirements for a tasty supper - quick to prepare, simple to cook and packed with flavour.
The main thing to watch out for is the cooking time, since all the ingredients will spoil if overcooked. Take your time and once the fish and cockles are ready, remove them from the pan and carry on cooking.
When buying monkfish, always check the thin elastic membrane on the outside of the tail has been removed, otherwise it toughens the flesh when cooked. If it's still intact, ask your fishmonger to remove it.
As for the chorizo, I recommend using mini sausages, which deliver both on flavour and colour, giving off a beautiful orange oil when cooked.
Monkfish with chorizo and cockles
Serves 4
100g spicy cooking chorizo, thinly sliced
30 fresh cockles, washed under cold running water
4tbsp olive oil
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 x 160g portions of monkfish fillet, lightly dusted with plain flour
125ml dry white wine
2tbsp chopped parsley
50g unsalted butter
Select a pan that's large enough to hold the fish and other ingredients and has a tight-fitting lid, place it over a moderate heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil has warmed up, add the chorizo and fry until the fat begins to run out, then move the chorizo to the side of the pan.
Turn up the heat, add the monkfish and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side. Next add the cockles, tomatoes and wine, place the lid on top and reduce to a medium heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, being careful not to overcook the fish. Transfer the fish and any open cockles on to warm plates.
Increase the heat under the pan, add the parsley and butter and simmer, shaking the pan occasionally. Once the butter has melted and all the cockles have opened, divide the remaining cockles and sauce between the warm plates and serve immediately.
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