Cauliflower and Monkfish Stew

So I really like monkfish. I think it's the perfect fish. And I had some monkfish in the freezer leftover from when I made kebabs. So I figured, why not make a soup. It's cold out today, it's snowing. It's march. Let's make a fish soup. So I looked up recipes and happened upon one almost immediately. But it was eh. So I changed it a bit here and there, adding things, changing things, until I had this. My version of Monkfish and Cauliflower Stew. 

Since you're cooking the monkfish in a soup, not searing it or grilling it, there's no need to salt it before cooking. The soup may taste a bit fishy at first as the water comes out of the monkfish, but as the flavors blend together it'll go away and the "fishy" flavor will actually make the final product taste better. 

To make this recipe, you'll need:

1 lbs monkfish fillet or tail

Olive oil

2 leeks

2 fennel bulbs

1 head cauliflower 

10 oz fresh cherry tomatoes

4 cloves garlic

1/4 cup chopped green olives

2 whole star anise 

1/2 tsp back cumin or caraway seeds

1 pinch saffron 

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 cup chopped tarragon 

2 cups chicken broth

28oz can tomato purée/crushed tomatoes

Fennel fronds (garnish)

Chop the cauliflower in half. Roughly chop one half and crumble it in the food processor. Cut the other half into flourets. 

Heat olive oil in a medium soup pot over medium high heat and add garlic. Sauté the garlic until it's golden and fragrant, 60-90 seconds. 

Add the leeks, fennel, star anise, and black cumin. Season generously with salt and add more olive oil if necessary. Cook until the vegetables have softened and reduced in size, 5-7 minutes. 

Add the cauliflower, cayenne pepper, saffron, tomato purée, and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. 

It looks like a hot mess now, but it'll look and taste much better later I promise. 

Add in the monkfish, tarragon, and chopped olives and simmer the soup for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower reaches your desired degree of tenderness. I like mine still with a bit of crunch, but if you like yours softer, simmer it longer. 

With 7 minutes left, put the cherry tomatoes on a tray, drizzle with olive oil, and burst them in the oven. Add them to the soup along with fennel fronds. to serve, label to soup into a bowl, top with a few burst tomatoes and a pinch of chopped fennel fronds, and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with crusty bread.