Pan Seared Monkfish Over Ratatouille

Delicious monkfish, served in the tradition of southern France, over a bed of ratatouille. It's colorful and chock full of Mediterranean flavors.

Ingredients

Olive oil

• 1 1/2 cups diced onion

• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 large eggplant (aubergine)

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

• 1 cup diced green bell pepper

• 1 cup diced red bell pepper

• 1 cup diced zucchini (corgette)

• 1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes

• 1 tsp. herbs de Provence

• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 4 monkfish fillets, 5-6 oz.

• 2 Tbsp. butter

• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

• Salt and pepper, as needed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Peel the eggplant, slice it into quarter-inch rounds and arrange them around a colander over a bowl so they can drain. Dust the slices well with coarse salt. Allow them to drain for 30 minutes or so and then cut into large pieces.

Set a large 12-inch saute pan over medium heat and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.

Saute the onions until they just start to brown, the add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds. Remove the onions and garlic to a bowl and set aside.

Increase the heat a little and add the eggplant slices and thyme to the hot pan, adding a bit more oil if needed and saute until lightly browned and partially cooked (abour 5 minutes). Layer the partly cooked eggplant in an oven proof casserole or baking dish.

Saute the green and red peppers, and zucchini until just starting to soften (about 5 minutes). Add them to the baking dish on top of the eggplant.

Add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, herbs de Provence and salt and pepper, to taste, to the hot pan and cook about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the baking dish along with the onions and garlic.

Place the baking dish in the hot oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are uniformly tender.

While the ratatouille is baking, dredge the monkfish fillets in the flour, shaking off any excess, then saeason with salt and pepper.

Heat a large cast iron or heavy frying pan over medium heat. Add the butter, and when it's melted and the froth has died down, add the monkfish to the pan and cook, turning once, until the surface is browned and the interior is opaque. About 3 minutes per side. (Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to work in batches, adding a liuttle butter between batches.)

Serve the monkfish fillets over the ratatouille and garnish with a slice of lemon and some parsley.

Photo and printable recipe at http://ift.tt/1L5clr2 ‎

bon appetit