Soups Recipes - Monkfish Broth Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 liter/4 cups fish or light chicken stock

• 4 lemon grass stalks

• 3 limes

• 2 small fresh hot red chilies, seeded and thinly sliced

• 2cm/3/4in piece fresh galangal, peeled and thinly sliced

• 6 coriander (cilantro) stalks, with leaves

• 2 kaffir lime leaves, coarsely chopped (optional)

• 350g/12oz monkfish fillet, skinned and cut into 2.5cm/1 in pieces

• 15ml/1 tbsp rice vinegar

• 45ml/3 tbsp fish sauce

• 30ml/2 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves, to garnish

Serves 2-3

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Method:

1. Pour the stock into a pan and bring it to the boil. Meanwhile, slice the bulb end of each lemon grass stalk diagonally into pieces about 3mm/1/8 in thick.

2. Peel off four wide strips of lime rind with a potato peeler, taking care to avoid the white pith underneath which would make the soup bitter. Squeeze the limes and reserve the juice.

3. Add the sliced lemon grass, lime rind, chilies, galangal and coriander stalks to the stock, with the kaffir lime leaves, if using. Simmer for 1-2 minutes.

4. Add the monkfish, rice vinegar and fish sauce, with half the reserved lime juice. Simmer for about 3 minutes, until the fish is just cooked.

5. Lift out and discard the coriander stalks, taste the broth and add more lime juice if necessary; the soup should taste quite sour. Sprinkle with the coriander leaves and serve.

Note: Lemon grass, chilies and galangal are among the flavorings used in this fragrant soup.