Monkfish and Mussel Chowder

Scrub the mussels to remove any barnacles and pull off the beard with a downward tug.

Put the white wine and the mussels in a pan over a high heat and cover. Remove the mussels as they open and set aside. Discard any that don’t open. Strain the cooking liquor through a fine sieve and reserve.

Roughly chop the meat, reserving 4 mussels in their shells for garnish.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a sauté pan and gently cook the shallots, leek, celery and the garlic until tender. Add the flour and salt and stir to make a smooth roux. Cook for 2 minutes then whisk in the reserved cooking liquor and the stock. Add the potatoes and simmer until tender.

Add the fish and simmer until it is just cooked then stir in the mussels, flat leaf parsley, fish sauce and lemon juice to taste. Season with a grind of pepper and add salt to taste only if needed.