Prosciutto-Wrapped Monkfish with Smoked Tomato Sauce

By ALICJA

Serve it cut into medallions over some cheesy polenta and surround it with the smoked tomato sauce. If you do not have a smoker, you can use an outdoor BBQ. And if this is just too much hassle, you can skip smoking the tomatoes entirely. Instead use a couple of drops of liquid smoke when sauteing the tomatoes and onions.

Ingredients

• Smoke Tomato Sauce:
• 6 very ripe Roma or beefsteak tomatoes
• 1/2 cup (100 ml)+ 1/4 cup (50 ml)extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• a pinch of chile flakes
• 1 cup (200 ml) water
• Prosciutto-Wrapped Monkfish:
• 2 filets/tails monkfish (1.2 lbs / 1/2 kg each), skin removed and trimmed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8 slices prosciutto, very thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup (250 ml) applewoods, hickory, or mesquite chips, or 3 drops liquid smoke

Preparation

Step 1

If using wood chips, begin by soaking them in water. To make the sauce: Prepare a smoker or BBQ and smoke the tomatoes for about 20 minutes with fairly heavy smoke. Remove the tomatoes from the smoker and let them cool briefly. Cut tomatoes in half, remove any seeds and roughly chop them.
In a medium saucepan, heat the 1/2 cup (100 ml)of olive oil. Add the onion and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Add the sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic and cook another 5 minutes. Do not let the garlic brown. Add the chopped tomatoes, chile flakes, water, and liquid smoke if you have not smoked the tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes, stirring often.
Cool the tomato mixture briefly, remove to a blender, and puree. Be careful when blending hot ingredients - use short pulses at first. Remove the sauce from the blender and strain through a fine sieve.
Season the monkfish with salt and pepper. Carefully wrap the filets with the prosciutto taking care to not leave any gaps in the prosciutto wrapping. Wrap the filets tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Warm a large non-stick skillet, add the 2 tbsp (30ml) of olive oil. Remove the plastic wrap from the filets, taking care to keep the prosciutto on the filets. Place the filets in the pan seam-side down and cook until all sides are lightly browned and a little crispy. With a large spatula, carefully remove the filets to a roasting pan and roast in a 400 F (220C) oven for about 12 minutes. Remove the filets from the oven and let cool 5 minutes.
Carefully slice the monkfish into thin medallions and serve with the tomato sauce.