"Perna de borrego do mar"

 Gigot de tamboril com alho alecrim e anchova

You  might have guessed I am a huge fan of tweaking,yes tweaking not twerking.Unless I am cooking for clients or guests I rarely cook a dish the same way twice.
There are many benefits to being a serial ‘tweaker’. The biggest is I rarely feel bored with my cooking, or like I’m ‘stuck in a rut’. Tweaking keeps recipes  alive and kicking and tasting fresh and interesting.
The other plus is that it allows me to use the ingredients I have in the larder. Which minimizes waste and also cuts down on shopping trips. I was shopping for some sea bass in the market on Saturday and some monkfish tails caught my eye.I love monkfish tail and giving it an edge with rosemary and anchovy is just amazing.
I usually wrap monkfish tail in bacon, or make a monkfish tagine but calling to mind something I read recently about the french term for monkfish tail being gigot de mer,literally meaning "leg of lamb of the sea",it got me thinking.The shape of a monkfish tail is somewhat reminiscent of a leg of lamb so why not lance it with anchovies and roast it in a roasting tray with rosemary and garlic as one would a leg of lamb.Monkfish tails work particularly well if simply baked, as the meaty flesh holds together well during cooking.This certainly made a delicious and comforting Sunday lunch on a chilly and damp winters day.I made a tomato vinaigrette,not far removed from a ratatouile, but without the courgettes and aubergine.What could be more Provençale? -and as Shakespeare once said  "let the sky rain potatoes",and outside it certainly did.I served baby red skinned potatoes roasted with garlic and yet more rosemary.If I was a fish and chipocrite I would be well happy with that for my Christmas dinner.Isn't Ann a vegetarian? Yes, but she still eats fish.

Gigot de tamboril com alho alecrim e anchova

1kg/ 2 1/2 lb monkfish tail
1 tin anchovy fillets
6 Tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground pepper
a large bunch of rosemary

FOR THE TOMATO VINAIGRETTE
10 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tsp wine vinegar
2 dessert spoons chopped tomatoes

Using a sharp knife make slits in the fish and insert pieces of anchovy. Marinate the fish in a mixture of lemon juice and olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper for at least two hours.
Lay the fish on a large bed of rosemary in a roasting tin.Pour more oil over the fish (it is the presence of fat that releases the essential oils of the rosemary, this will be apparent at the end of 45 minutes cooking) 
Roast in a pre-heated oven at 180C / 350F / gas 4 for 45 minutes.
To make the tomato vinaigrette,heat the ingredients in a small pan and season to taste. Transfer to a serving dish and pour over the warm vinaigrette.Serve with garlic roasted baby new potatoes.



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