A Guide to Buying and Cooking Monkfish
The flavor and texture of monkfish is surprisingly similar to lobster, at a fraction of the price.
What is monkfish?
You might have seen monkfish on a restaurant menu before. Its tail meat is commonly used in French cuisine, and other parts of the fish are consumed in different regions of the world. For example, its liver is sometimes used in Japanese hand rolls and its liver and cheeks are pan-fried in certain Spanish dishes. Monkfish are typically fished in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean; think back to middle school science class, and you might recall that monkfish is an enormous bottom dwelling fish that’s known for its large head and mouth filled with spiny teeth.
What does monkfish taste like?
Monkfish is known for its tight, meaty white flesh that is often compared to lobster meat. It’s not only similar to lobster in texture, but also in flavor. It has a mild, sweet flavor without a trace of fishiness. The versatile fish can be prepared using almost any cooking method.
Where can I buy monkfish?
The monkfish tail is typically sold whole or filleted. Some larger grocery stores sell frozen fillets in the freezer section (sometimes they’re labeled as American angler, not monkfish). Monkfish is a great option because it of its very affordable price tag.
Theresa Raffetto, Theresa Raffetto
How do I prep monkfish?
If you’ve purchased an entire tail, you’ll need to take the following steps to prep it.
- Remove the skin. It is edible, but unlike salmon skin that cooks into a thin crispy layer, monkfish skin is tough and hard to chew. Simply grasp onto the skin and pull it straight back to remove it.
- Trim off the tail and fins with scissors.
- Remove the membrane. Peel off the thin membrane encasing the monkfish by grasping onto one end and pulling straight back. At this point, you can roast the entire tail on the bone, which will make for very juicy meat.
- Cut the tail into two fillets. Or run your fillet knife down each side of the spine and cut off each fillet. Save the bone to make some fish stock!
If you’ve purchased monkfish fillets, all this work should be done for you. There are no pin bones in the tail, so all you have to do is get cooking.
How do I cook monkfish?
This versatile fish can be prepared using almost any cooking method, including pan-frying, grilling, baking and poaching in soups and stews. Its lean flesh tends to dry out if overcooked, so make sure you’re mindful of this. Test for doneness by inserting a paring knife into the monkfish flesh; if the blade comes out warm to the touch, the monkfish is done cooking. When the monkfish is cooked through, the flesh appears white.
Pan Frying Monkfish
A quick way to cook monkfish fillets is to melt some butter in large nonstick skillet over medium, season the fillets and cook until golden brown, about five minutes per side. Put this technique to work in Food Network Kitchen’s Monkfish "Lobster" Rolls recipe (pictured above) that taste pretty darn close to real lobster rolls for a fraction of the price.
Grilling Monkfish
Monkfish takes just a few minutes to grill to perfection. An easy way to grill it? Cube it and thread it onto skewers. To maintain moisture, try marinating it briefly first. Check out French cookbook author Laura Calder’s recipe for Monkfish in Herbes de Provence Marinade.
Poaching Monkfish
Poaching is a great way to gently cook monkfish and ensure that it doesn’t dry out. Check out this Food Network Kitchen recipe for Fish Curry with Okra, in which you’ll add chunks of monkfish to a spiced, tomatoey broth and then simmer them for about 15 minutes until they’re cooked through.
Baking Monkfish
Because monkfish is a firm fish, it holds up well to a quick sear on the stove over medium-high heat to develop golden-brown color on the outside. Then you can transfer it to a hot oven and finish cooking it all the way through. For a full recipe, see Bobby Flay’s Oven Roasted Monkfish with Clams and Merguez Sausage.
What’s a good substitute for monkfish?
Monkfish has a unique flavor and texture, but you can substitute snapper, sea bass, halibut, mahi-mahi or sea scallops.
Related Links:
