I haven’t sat down and looked through my recipe books for something nice to make for a wee while. Instead I’ve stuck to well-worn recipes I know in my head or referring to dishes I’ve already blogged in the past. Having a flex day to use up meant I had a bit of time to pick something a bit special to cook.
Browsing through the weighty tomes that lurk in my kitchen I ended up flicking through Tom Kitchin’s excellent Kitchin Suppers and this fantastic looking poached monkfish dish with saffron , broad beans and peas. A special looking dinner that happens to be healthy? Perfect.
The recipe itself is deceptively simple. I’ve never poached fish before but the book’s clear instructions and gentle reassurance saw me right. The rest of it was almost literally just a case of finishing off the sauce with some butter and cream then gently simmering the veg in it. Shelling the broad beans before I started cooking took just as long as the actual cooking.
So, an easy recipe that looks a bit special and tastes…? It tasted amazing. The saffron sauce was beautiful and the monkfish along with the fresh broad beans and some of our home-grown peas is a just a perfect combination. After spending the earlier part of my day off on a long bike ride in the sun this was exactly the meal I needed. Often I’ll cook a great meal from a book and then never cook it again. I’d be hugely disappointed if I never eat this one again. It’s a keeper.
Mince and Skirlie 