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Continuing with recipes from The Complete Robuchon, the next dish I made was a monkfish with garlic and fennel cream, which Robuchon called lotte à l’ail, crème de fenouil.
2 (10oz) monkfish fillets
5 cloves garlic
Salt
Pepper
3 tablespoons plus 1/2 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons butter, chilled
10 sprigs thyme
1 large onion (cut into 1/4 inch rounds)
1 large fennel bulb (cut into 1/4 inch rounds)
1 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup crème fraîche
Since I would be baking the fish, I wanted to stuff it with garlic so the meat would come out properly flavored. In order to do this I had to boil the de-germed garlic for 10 minutes first. To remove the garlic germ you first cut the clove in half.