Monkfish from the tagine with chermoula

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 700 g monkfish, diced
• 4 large tomatoes, grated
• 4 carrots, in thick slices
• 4 potatoes, in thick slices
• 1 m.-sized onion(s), cut into rings
• 3 bell peppers, red, yellow and orange
• 1 lemon(s), Moroccan, pickled
• some olives, purple, preferably without stones
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 bunch leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 ½ tbsp tomato paste
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp cumin powder (kamoun)
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 cube of fish stock, instant, or chicken stock, instant
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 dashes lemon juice

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

it also works with other firm-fleshed, white fish

For the marinade (chermoula), place the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly; season to taste. Add the monkfish and marinate the fish for a few hours. Add a little oil to a heavy-bottomed pot or tagine. Line the bottom with the onion rings, carrots, and potatoes. Spread the fish on top. Mix the marinade (chermoula) with a little water and pour half of it over the fish. Wash the peppers, remove the stems, halve them, remove the ribs and seeds, and cut into strips. Arrange these on the fish, then add the tomatoes to the tagine or pot. Slice the preserved lemon—the Moroccan version, perhaps better known as salt lemon—and arrange five of them in the tagine. Top with the olives and drizzle with the remaining marinade (chermoula). Let everything simmer for a while over low heat. The length of time depends on the fish used and the thickness of the potatoes and carrots. It took me about 45 minutes. Add a little water now and then if necessary. But please don’t use cold water, as using a tagine dish can easily burst. As soon as the tagine is ready, serve it with fresh flatbread. Tip: It also works without potatoes. If you want it to go faster, you can also use julienned vegetables. This reduces the cooking time by about 10-15 minutes. If you can’t get or don’t like monkfish, you can use other white, firm-fleshed fish. If you have a fishmonger, you could ask them about the cooking times. Or you can use frozen fish; the cooking time is usually on the package. However, let the frozen fish at least partially defrost before marinating, or better yet, let it thaw completely.