Monkfish liver (foie de lotte)

[A Balic]

In the new Nobu cookbook there is a recipe using monkfish liver that looks fantastic. Has anybody tried this item? Can you get this liver from any type of monkfish (Angler). We have a great deal of monkfish in Scotland, I assume they just throw the liver away, I'm interested in trying. However, before I comit to the very tedious effort of trying to convince my fishmonger to keep the livers for me I thought I would find out if it is worth the bother.  

Best Regards to all.

[robert brown]

Alain Chapel in the early-mid 1970s served "foie de lotte" with black turnips. I remember a vinegar taste as well. The liver tasted quite a bit like that of a duck, but with a firmer texture. It's certainly worth exploringl. Let us know what happens.

(Edited by robert brown at 12:45 am on Oct. 19, 2001)

[Steve Klc]

It's definitely worth the bother.  Daisuke Utagawa of Sushi-Ko in Washington, DC does an amuse of monkfish liver (ankimo) with a ponzu gelee that was odd at first, yet clean and complex.  It's seems kind of trendy now.

I wouldn't know how to extract it from that really ugly fish, though.

[Fat Guy]

I don't know how it's done over there in Scotland, but my understanding is that in North America monkfish are usually landed with the liver still in the body cavity. The head is removed, and the fish is partially gutted, but the liver is not removed and the tail (another item being purchased in Japan and Europe) is also left intact. There's a huge Japanese demand for monkfish liver, so it's entirely possible that your local fishermen are already harvesting monkfish with their livers. As for the particular strain of monkfish being caught, I'm not aware of any significant difference.

[Bux]

I've frequently had monkfish liver in Japanese restaurants. I've heard it's been available in some other NY restaurants, but have not been fortunate to run across it. I've seen it for sale in European fish markets, but not commonly. I know I saw it in a fish market in Brittany because I have a photo. It's quite delicious. I've thought of it as foie gras de mer, but of course it's different. Worth having, at any rate.

[Liza]

I've purchased monkfish liver from Alex Villani of Blue Moon Fisheries. He's at the Union Square Farmer's market on Wednesdays and the Tribeca Market on Saturdays. I believe monkfish liver is seasonal to the fall...or is it the spring? I'll ask Alex tomorrow and report back.

I've also had it served at Aquagrill, where they indeed call it foie gras of the sea.

[Fat Guy]

Liza, it's possible that the local monkfish catch in these parts is seasonal, but I'm pretty sure you can get monkfish liver from somewhere on the planet at any time of year. The livers themselves are, of course, always present in the fish -- they're not like roe, coming and going with seasonal/reproductive cycles.

[Steve Klc]

Liza--how was it served or prepared at Aquagrill?

[B Edulis]

I've seen monkfish liver prepared on Iron Chef, but I don't remember how. (Any IC fans out there remember?)

I've gotten monkfish liver from Alex and it's really interesting. Intuitively, I treated it like foie gras, and it was very rich. I'd love to check out the Nobu recipe.

[Lord Michael Lewis]

Monkfish, Angler fish or rock salmon's liver, as it is variously known in the English speaking world, is pretty tasty and pretty healthy stuff. It has nothing in common with foie gras apart from its high fat content colour and physiological rôle.

Most occidental fishmongers throw it away but should you get your hands on one try roasting it in a hot oven and serving it with Pisto, a kind of Iberian Rattatouille.

Interesting as it may be I assure you it isn't the kind of thing you'll want to eat everyday, or every month for that matter.

[A Balic]

Thank you for all this information, I am now even more determined to cook with this ingredient. However, after going to my local fishmonger, who is offen quite helpful (he even offered to get me green dyed salmon for St. Pat's day), and down to the wholesale fish market, I have found that in Scotland the Monkfish is landed without the liver. Yep, it all ends up in D.J's. locker. So a slight hitch in the plan.

There may be some hope though, as after I describing it has a sought after product in Japan (and the U.S.), my fishmongers eyes light up and he have agreed to try to save me an liver or two. As he sells to the local restuarants he thought he may be able to sell it to them as well. Once again I have been defeated by living in the U.K., impossible to get thrushes tongues, flamingo's brains or dolphin hearts as well......

[Bux]

he even offered to get me green dyed salmon

And you still refer to him as a friend? ;)

For what it's worth, and very little in relation to the original question, my understanding is that canned monkfish liver pate is available on the continent. I believe it is packed in Scandinavia, perhaps Denmark. I suspect this is what I had when I ordered a foie de lotte tartine in a favorite little Parisian lunch/snack spot (Cuisine de Bar. 8, rue du Cherche-Midi -- nice open face sandwiches and desserts, but an icky sweet salad dressing that tasted as if it was imported from the US in bottles).

[Liza]

The monkfish are coming, the monkfish are coming!

For those in the NYC area with a hankering for monkfish liver, it's just about time for the local monkfish catch. All together now: I scream, you scream, we all scream for monkfish liver!

[Bux]

Shades of the Heston Blumenthal discussions on the UK board, perhaps there's monkfish liver ice cream on the Fat Duck menu.

[A Balic]

No, I turned the offer of green dyed salmon down ( the poor man thought I was an American and had heard rumours of green dyed rivers), and bought nice five pound salmon-trout instead. Salmon-trout is now my firm favorite fish, thankfully they are very cheap when they are in season. We have tried side by side comparisons between wild caught salmon-trout and salmon and felt that the flavour and more especially the texture was better in the former.  

Next year when they are in season I will have to pursue this comparison further, I would like to a Sushimi of the two, but having extracted Anaskis nematodes out of every wild fish I have bought this may not be an option. Maybe I will serve it with side of bean thread noodles, so that nobody will notice the odd worm or two.

[Benedict Jenks]

I've eaten Monkfish liver in the US and also at Sushi-say in London.  I've seen the raw livers for sale at the Kensington Place Fish shop in London -  I know this may not be much use in Edinburgh.

[A Balic]

Thanks for that information. I am in the middle of moving house, so I have yet to get around to getting the liver. Maybe next weekend when we are having a party I will get it and offer it to the unsuspecting. Next time I am in London I will have to look in to this fishmonger, it sounds like it might have a bit more to offer than haddock, salmon and crab. Regards Adam.

[franklanguage]

There's supposed to be a Japanese restaurant on 53rd street west of Broadway that serves monkfish liver; this - I wasn't taking notes, so don't quote me - is a place where a guy I was talking to today said a few of them just went there one night and had whatever the chef prepared for them. They had been advised in advance to order the ์ plate, not the 贄, because you didn't get much more food with the 贄 meal.

Because the waitress had such a thick accent, they weren't sure what the first course was: it looked like gray tofu with a sauce poured over it. However, it turned out to be the monkfish liver pâté - which he said was like foie gras to him.

Does anyone know of this place? The name escapes me at the moment. (Or should I move this to the Restaurant thread?)

[Bux]

Monkfish liver is probably served in a great many Japanese restaurants. I know it's frequently available at Tomoe Sushi. Look for ankimo if it's not listed under its English name. It's usually served with a ponzu sauce.

[Jon Tseng]

Am currently in possession of a kilogram of fresh monkfish liver (borough market. it was cheap. i was hungry)

looking for recipe suggestions. i gather tis a japanese delicacy. so far have some ideas out of the nobu cookbook for steaming it as a pate and sauteeing it a la hot foie gras.

any more suggestions?

cheerio

j

[cabrales]

Jon -- Your purchase is wonderful I wonder if some of the monkfish liver could be steamed inside green cabbage, a la Alain Senderens' foie gras dish? Also, Artisanal's sea urchin panna cotta led me to think that perhaps monkfish liver could flavor panna cotta as well.

B Edulis and Liza discussed monkfish liver in connection with the first eGullet pot luck in New York. One of them might have a helpful recipe.

[chopjwu12]

one of my chefs made a terrine out of it. I didnt care for it that much but it was the only time i ate monkfish liver. it might be better another way

[Jinmyo]

Ankimo is usually salted heavily for about ten minutes. Then rinsed with sake and marinated in it for about an hour or a little less. Then rolled up with cling film and foil and steamed for about half an hour. Then left to cool, unwrapped, sliced. Serve with citrus and sake.

[Maison]

Congrats on the score! Remember that ponzu is your friend and the Japanese citrus, Yuzu, is insanely fantastic.! I would actually try a confit if I were you. Confit of "foie de mare" with Shiso sake broth. Let me know what you think, please?

Enjoy,

Maison

[Orik]

Does anyone have information regarding the current availability of monkfish liver in New York?