Leamington and Warwick Living Jul - Aug 2023

MONKFISH
RICE & CURRY
BY JACK STEIN
Jack Stein’s World On A Plate
(Bloomsbury and Absolute Press)
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
50ml vegetable oil
4 onions
12 curry leaves
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5cm ginger, finely chopped
8 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced
400ml coconut milk
600g monkfish cut into 4 fillets, trimmed
1 tablespoon salt
2 green chillies, sliced
FOR THE SRI LANKAN CURRY
POWDER
2 tablespoons basmati rice
4 tablespoons coriander seeds
3 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 tablespoons chilli flakes
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
2 teaspoons cloves
1 heaped teaspoon cardamom seeds
(from the pods)
1 heaped teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric
TO SERVE
Boiled basmati rice
Deep-fried poppadom triangles
METHOD
To make the curry powder, place the
rice in a dry pan and roast until brown.
Then add the spices and cook together
until fragrant. Place in a blender and
mix. Store in an airtight container until
needed; it will keep for 1 month.
For the curry base, warm half of the
vegetable oil in a large, wide pan and
add the onions and 6 of the curry
leaves; cook until lightly coloured (8
minutes). Then add the garlic and
ginger and cook for another 3 minutes.
Move this onion mixture to one side of
the pan and place 2–3 teaspoons of the
roasted curry powder in the space left.
Cook the spices for 1 minute then add
the tomatoes and stir together.
Cook the mixture for a further 20
minutes. (Meanwhile boil the rice, then
cover to keep warm.)
If the curry starts to dry, add a little
water. You want the tomatoes to break
down and release their juice. Now
add the coconut milk and cook until
reduced and thick. Keep the curry
warm over a low heat while you cook
the fish.
Season the monkfish fillets with the
salt and cook in a frying pan in the
remaining vegetable oil until nicely
browned; you want to cook it under the
temperature where you want it to finish
– say 45ºC. Take the fillets out of the
pan, slice thickly and leave to rest.
Warm up the curry base and add the
monkfish slices to the pan. Cook for
1–2 minutes until the fish reaches 55ºC.
Remove from the heat. Add the raw
sliced chilli and remaining fresh curry
leaves. Serve with the basmati rice and
deep-fried poppadom triangles.
Jack Stein’s World On A Plate
(Bloomsbury and Absolute Press)
28 | www.minervamagazines.co.uk