Ingredients

• 110g/4oz yellow split peas
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ onion
• finely chopped
• 1 carrot
• chopped into 1cm/½in cubes
• 1 garlic clove
• crushed to a paste
• ½ leek
• white part only
• chopped into 1cm/½in pieces
• 110g/4oz button mushrooms
• finely chopped
• 200g/7oz cooking chorizo
• cut into 1cm/½in pieces
• 50g/2oz semi-dried tomatoes
• chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 500ml/17½fl oz chicken stock
• ½ tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• to taste
• 1 bouquet garni (made with 2 bay leaves and ¼ bunch thyme tied together with kitchen string)
• 400g/14oz monkfish tail
• trimmed
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 50g/2oz unsalted butter
• 200g/7oz cooking chorizo
• sliced thinly on the diagonal
• ¼ bunch flatleaf parsley
• leaves only
• chopped
• small handful coriander cress (available from specialist suppliers and online)
• extra virgin olive oil
• to taste

Directions

• For the broth
• place the split peas into a small saucepan and top with cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer for about 10-12 minutes
• or until partly cooked but still slightly crunchy. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile
• gently heat the vegetable oil in a pan and add the onion
• carrot
• garlic
• leek
• mushrooms
• chorizo and tomatoes. Gently fry to soften the vegetables
• but not colour them.
• After five minutes
• add the tomato purée
• then add the stock
• partly cooked yellow peas
• salt
• pepper and the bouquet garni.
• Simmer very gently for 25-30 minutes
• or until the peas and the vegetables are completely cooked through.
• For the monkfish
• cut the monkfish into 1cm/½in thick slices.
• Mix the smoked paprika and salt in a small bowl
• then lightly dust the monkfish with the mixture.
• Heat a medium non-stick frying pan
• add the oil
• then add the butter to the pan. When the butter begins to foam
• add the monkfish pieces.
• Fry the fish
• spooning the butter over it as it cooks. Once the fish is cooked through
• remove it from the pan and set aside on a warm plate. Discard half of the butter.
• Add the chorizo to the pan and cook until crisp.
• To serve
• add the chopped parsley to the broth and stir through. Place 5-6 pieces of monkfish in the centre of each of four bowls. Place a few slices of cooked chorizo over the top then spoon over the broth. Garnish with the coriander cress and extra virgin olive oil
• to taste.