This time of year requires a big fat hug from comfort food. I try to keep our carbs down by using pulses instead and beans lentils, and chickpea’s are a brilliant way of doing it. I can’t believe monkfish use to be a poor man’s cod as it is so sweet, meaty and delicious. I love tinned tomatoes too as they are so versatile. This dish is comforting, tasty and flavoursome. If you have thought about having a go at making your own preserved lemons definitely do it, the result is amazing.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 leek or onion, finely chopped
• 1 thumb piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 4 tbsp garlic infused olive oil (or 2 garlic cloves finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 preserved lemon, chopped
• 1 tbsp harissa
• 1 tin chopped plum tomatoes
• 1 tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 400ml fish stock
• 700g monkfish fillets
• 50g sultanas
• a handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped to serve

Method

1. Heat a drizzle of the garlic oil in a pan and gently cook the onion until soft.
2. Then add the ginger and the rest of the garlic oil with the spices. Cook until the spices smell fragrant. About 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the Harissa and cook for one minute. Add the fish stock, preserved lemon, plum tomatoes cannellini beans and currants and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, to thicken the sauce slightly.
4. Pat the monkfish dry and season with salt and pepper. Preheat a frying pan over a high flame and add the monkfish fillets. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden. Once the monkfish has been flipped and cooked on the other side, place the fillets into the tomato stew and cover with a lid. Cook for 5 minutes and then serve immediately
5. Finish with a final sprinkle of freshly chopped coriander.