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Fresh Monkfish

Fresh Monkfish is known as the "poor man's lobster"

You would never think that such a great tasting fish would come from such a ugly fish. Monkfish have huge heads, tiny eyes and needle like teeth filling thier large mouths. Just above thier mouth is a funny looking, spike like apparatus with what looks like a small piece of meat on it. This is used to entice its prey by waving it back and forth.

Very rarely does the whole monkfish make it to market. Most fisherman will remove the tail and the liver and toss the rest back in the ocean. The tail is the only part of the fish that has any meat to it, as the rest of the fish is all head and belly. Most of the livers are sold to the Japenese market where they use them in soups.

The monkfish can be found in waters from the Norway coast to the Mediterranean and from the Grand Banks up to North Carolina.

Monkfish Cooking Tips

The monkfish tail meat is dense, firm and boneless, with a mild sweet taste. Often compared to the texture of scallops or lobster meat. The uncooked meat is a off white to a pale gray color, that is covered with a blueish membrane.

Make sure that you remove that membrane before cooking or it will make the meat tough and not worth eating.

The firm texture makes this fish great for the grill or to use in soups, stews and chowders. It adapts well to many marinades, seasoning and sauces. You will notice that the meat will lose moisture when cooking and shrinks be careful not to overcook it.

Ways to Cook it: Bake, Broil, Fry, Grill, Saute, Poach, Steam

Texture: Medium-Firm

Flavor: Mild