Rape a la roteña

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Monkfish in onion, tomato and brandy sauce which is names after Rota, a town on the Bay of Cádiz.

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, finely diced
• Garlic, to taste, finely diced
• 1 large pepper, chopped
• 3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled
• 2 bay leaves
• Nutmeg, grated
• 1 kg monkfish fillets, thickly sliced and seasoned
• 60 ml sherry
• 60 ml dry white wine

Method

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a pan and sauté the onions VERY slowly, until they start to caramelise.
2. Raise the heat slightly. Add a little more oil and then the garlic.
3. Cook the garlic until soft and add the pepper.
4. Cook for about 5 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes, seasoning, bay leaves and nutmeg.
6. Cook for a few minutes until any liquid has evaporated.
7. Add the brandy and wine and allow to evaporate further.
8. Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in a separate pan, add the monkfish and cook on each side until golden.
9. Pour the sauce over the fish, heat through and serve.

Variations

Use Spanish brandy instead of sherry. The traditional fish to use is one called urta, which is not available in the UK. Monkfish, bream or snapper can be used as an alternative to urta. In Rota, there is an annual Fiesta de la Urta.

This dish can also be baked in the over, covered with slices of potato.