Seafood & Avocado Salad

• 1 lb (500 g) monkfish, trimmed and skinned
• 2/3 cup (150 ml) fish stock
• 1 slice of onion
• 6 black peppercorns
• squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 bay leaf
• mixed salad greens, such as curly endive, radicchio, and arugula
• 2 avocados
• lemon juice for brushing
• 2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into strips
• 1/4 lb (125 g) cooked peeled shrimp
• 30z (90 g) canned white crabmeat
• fiat-leaf parsley to garnish

• 1/2 cup (125 ml) light sour cream
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• salt and black pepper

STEPS :

1. Put the monkfish into a saucepan with the stock, onion, peppercorns, lemon juice, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover, and poach very gently, turning once, for 10-15 minutes, until opaque throughout and firm.
2. Lift the monkfish out of the liquid, leave to cool slightly, then cut the flesh into bite-sized pieces. Leave to cool completely.
3. Make the sour cream dressing: put the sour cream and lemon juice into a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste, and stir to mix.
4. To serve, arrange the salad greens on individual plates. Halve, pit (page 68), and peel the avocados, and brush with lemon juice. Slice lengthwise and arrange in a fan shape on the greens. Add the strips of tomato, the monkfish, shrimp, and crabmeat. Spoon the sour cream dressing over the salad, garnish with parsley, and serve immediately.

* * * Cook's know-how * * *

The liquid in which the monkfish is poached can be reused as a good fish stock. When cool, strain the liquid and freeze it in a small container.