I have a pen pal in France (a cooking pen pal!). Mary Margaret Chappell and I have never met, but over many years of working together as food editors and writers, we became long-distance friends. Thirteen years ago, Mary Margaret moved to Cancale, France, and I moved to Martha’s Vineyard – two beautiful coastal spots with a strong fishing and cooking culture.

Mary Margaret now lives right on the harbor in a 19th century stone fisherman’s house where her sunny kitchen has a view of the water and all the activity it generates. She loves to dig clams, forage for greens, and shop the robust seafood markets in her small town, which is famous for its oyster farms. In normal times, when she’s not developing recipes, she’s cooking for friends or teaching cooking classes.

With overseas travel still difficult, I thought it might be nice if Mary Margaret transported us to Brittany with a menu completely appropriate for Martha’s Vineyard. In fact when she suggested Monkfish à l’Armoricaine (a delicious seafood stew), I immediately said yes, as Mike Holtham at The Net Result and I have talked about how delicious this bottom-feeding (and very ugly!) fish is. (A bottom-feeder eats crustaceans which gives it a rich, sweet flavor.) Our local fishermen currently bring it in as bycatch when fishing for flounder.