A monkfish is a type of anglerfish more commonly known in North America as a goosefish. It has enjoyed some notoriety as a monster fish due to its unusual appearance, because of this it was often shunned as a fish to eat. However, in recent years it has become fashionable for its superior flavour which comes from its requirement to be cooked in a similar way to meat; indeed its flavour is often described as meaty.

With a texture similar to that of king scallops the monkfish can be served in similar dishes. The most common part that is eaten is the tail as it has no bones and is usually roasted, sometimes with bacon as this can add to the flavour. Monkfish cooking usually employs the roasting method as the similarity to meat makes this ideal. It is also ideal for barbequing as it is resilient against the aggressive heat produced from the charcoal, although cooking it is often preferred it can, along with most types of fish, be served raw such as in a Carpaccio dish.

When looking to buy monkfish it is now available in most supermarkets so it will not be difficult to come across. As with all fish it should smell of the sea without having a fishy odour and it should be shiny without having any slime on it. Again, as with all fish, the fresher the better so ideally buy it on the day you are going to be using it.

You will usually find it difficult to buy a whole monkfish as when they are caught the fisherman will chop off the tail and the liver and discard the rest, as the tail is the only part with any meat in it and the Japanese use the liver for soups. Before you can begin monkfish cooking you will need to fillet it first, unless you can get a fishmonger to do it for you. Because monkfish has a naturally high water content it can make the fish have a soggy texture after it is cooked, so a good tip is to get rid some of some of this excess water before you begin cooking. To do this you can put the fillets on a plate and give them a generous sprinkling of salt, leave it for roughly ten minutes and the salt will draw some water out for you to dispose off before cooking.

The secret to monkfish cooking is not to overcook it, internally it should be moist but you do not want it to dry out as this can make it tough. Some methods of cooking it are baking it in the oven wrapped in foil and seasoned with oil, salt and pepper. Grilling will give the fish a very good flavour but care needs to be taken to ensure it does not dry out, so a medium heat is best. If you are concerned about your diet and want to try and eat healthily the healthiest method of cooking monkfish is to steam it, by putting it on a rack above a couple of inches of boiling water with a tight fitting lid.

For monkfish recipes and other great fish dishes in the UK, click here now!

For monkfish recipes and other great fish dishes in the USA, click here now!