There aren't many fish that can tolerate being cooked in a stew like chicken or beef, but monkfish is one of them. Its mild flavour and dense, meaty texture make it perfect for the first stew of the season - a relatively quick yet comforting dish made in the style of boeuf bourguignonne with garlic, strong-flavoured smoked bacon, bay leaves and red wine.

Despite the French recipe, all the ingredients can be sourced from the UK. I bought monkfish directly from Cornwall - my regular supplier is www.seafayrecuisine.co.uk, which buys daily from Newlyn fish market, although I have been recently impressed by Pengelly's at Looe (01503 262246). Both companies trim the fish thoroughly, removing the unpleasantly slimy membrane that covers the surface of the skinned tail fillet.

This dish is an occasion to push the boat out with the bacon, choosing Wiltshire or dry cured smoked rashers that won't exude white slime as they cook.

The beef version is often made with whole shallots, but for the fish stew sliced shallots are more appropriate, softening gently into the bacon and garlic so that they work as a bridge to flavours. Any carrot would work well, but the stumpy shape and extra sweetness of little Chantenay carrots from Nottingham are perfect for the dish.

The only other significant ingredient is the potatoes to serve with it. Creamy mashed potato is lovely with the classic dish, but this fishy version suits boiled or steamed French-style waxy potatoes. Charlotte is the British equivalent of ratte or belle de Fontenay but chestnutty pink fir apples would be ideal. Frozen petits pois or green beans or a mixture of the two provide the essential greens, and if you want to be extra smart, serve this lovely novel dish with triangles of fried bread, their edges dipped into finely chopped flat leaf parsley.

METHOD

Prep time: 35 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

150g rindless, smoked streaky bacon

6 large shallots

4 garlic cloves

6tbsp olive oil

300g baby mushrooms

350g Chantenay carrots

1kg monkfish tail fillet

4 tbsp flour

2 bay leaves

500ml dry red wine

500ml hot chicken stock

2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

Chop the bacon into lardons. Peel, halve and finely slice the shallots. Peel the garlic and slice in thin rounds. Wipe any dirt from the mushrooms. Trim and wash the carrots. Remove any trace of the slimy membrane covering the monkfish and cut into double kebab-size chunks.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large, heavy-bottomed, lidded pan over a medium heat and stir in the bacon. Cook, stirring after a couple of minutes, for about 5 minutes, until the bacon is nicely crisp. Add the shallot, garlic and bay leaves and adjust the heat so that the shallots cook gently for a further 10 minutes until limp and hardly coloured.

Meanwhile, pat the fish dry with kitchen paper. Toss the fish in the flour. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan and briefly brown the fish in three or four uncrowded batches, so that it cooks quickly and evenly. Rest the fish on kitchen paper to drain as you cook each batch, and add the remaining oil to the frying pan as required.

Deglaze the pan with a cupful of the wine. Stir the mushrooms into the shallots, tossing around for a couple of minutes, then add the fish, wine-flavoured juices from the frying pan and the rest of the wine. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly to loosen the flour from the fish and thicken the sauce, reduce the heat immediately and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the stock and carrots. Season with salt and pepper, partially cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes until the carrots are tender, the fish cooked through and the sauce reduced and thickened.

Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, discard the bay leaves, garnish with the chopped parsley and serve immediately. If making the dish in advance, cool, cover and chill. It will keep for up to 48 hours, and can then be reheated gently and garnished with parsley to serve.

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