Monkfish

[Daniel]

I bought a monkfish yesterday.. I was planning on cooking it for last night's dinner, but I made the little one something so good, I ended up splitting it with her.. So now, having not eaten lunch, I am starting to dream of tonights dinner..

After going through all the ideas in my head, I thought of something interesting.. I call it a "Poor Man's Lobster Roll".. Basically, I want to poach the Monkfish in butter.. Then place on a Hot Dog Roll.. For the side I will make a beet, fennel,watercress, slaw/salad thing..

But I digress, knowing how versatile monkfish is, I was wondering what people's favorite preparation method or actual dish is.. Have you had it roasted,broiled, boiled, poached, grilled,fried, steamed, ceviche? Do you stuff it? Roll it, bread it, rub, or marinate?

So, how do you like it?

Edited August 3, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[wattacetti]

Did you get the liver?

For the actual meaty part, I usually pan-roast or grill since they're the easiest preparations for what I do with as a monkfish dish. Have also steamed/boiled/poached monkfish to serve in soups or on top of vegetables. Papillote and ceviche were both so-so.

Raw wasn't great for me: I felt it had the wrong texture and couldn't decide if I liked the taste.

I can see you doing your roll thing with some beurre noisette (love to see your photos).

[Tonyy13]

I love to sear it in medalions that I have trussed like a filet mignon. Seared with some pistou butter or dressed with really toasted pistachios and pistachio oil... oh man!

[Daniel]

I borrowed the idea from you to truss it. As a practice round, I cut a little piece and tied it into a mini-medallion.. I made the Buerre Monte Sauce and poached the medallion for 11 minutes at 170-80.. I took out the string and poured some of the Butter Sauce on top, the first green I grabbed was beet..

It was really good.. I might do something else for the sandwich.. Maybe roast it first and then finish in the sauce.. I personally like the crispy texture that comes from the high heat.. Or maybe pan grill and then finish in sauce.. Or I think the ultimate but I refuse to at this point would be to deep fry and then add to the sauce on a sandwich.. But I havent drank that much........yet

Edit to add: I am about to cook it.. I would love your suggestions for a sandwich.

Edited August 4, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[Daniel]

Well, I am ready to say this is not a good way to prepare Monkfish.. The texture is all wrong and cant compete with lobster.. I pan fried mine.. In order to replicate the texture of a lobster, you would really have to roast the fish until it dries out.. The best way to make a sandwich, would be to deep fry..

This is a poor version of a lobster roll..

Sandwich, Noticed the last string while taking the photo.. Once I put the sandwich in my hand, photo time is over.

This is not a better or cheaper or even good version of a lobster roll.

Edited August 4, 2006 by Daniel (log)

[Chufi]

I really like monkfish wrapped in smoked bacon and panfried (or roasted at high heat).

And last week I had a great monkfish dish in a restaurant. It was a piece of monkfish, roasted , the flesh firm but still moist. It rested on a creamy mixture of savoy cabbage and crispy bits of chorizo, the combination was really good.

[jackal10]

Roast "gigot de mer"

[NeilMalek]

Only time I've had it so far was at Lolita in Cleveland. They roast it wrapped in pancetta - you definitely had to 'unwrap' it, because the meat overpowered the fish, which was fantastic by itself. Definitely worth my time.

[Toliver]

The only time I've dealt with monk fish, I broiled it in hopes it would be like broiling a lobster, but it ended up awful. It had the worst smell to it, too. It's possible the piece I bought may have been bad but it was enough to turn me off of it for quite a while.

[Andrew Fenton]

Monkfish "osso buco" looks good...

[chef koo]

coat it in cornstarch and deep fry. cover with garlic and black bean sauce

[tristar]

For me the simpler the better, place the monkfish, seasoned with a little coarse salt and some freshly ground black pepper into a small pan on a bed of julienned carrots and some scallions sliced lengthways, top with a crushed stem of lemongrass and some ripped cilantro. Add boiling water to half the height of the bedding vegetables, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the monkfish is cooked. Remove the monkfish, and thicken the remaining liquid by increasing the heat and adding a generous knob of butter, check for seasoning. Place the monkfish back onto the carrot and scallions, and drizzle over the enriched sauce, and sprinkle fresh ripped cilantro on top!

[johnjohn]

Did you have to do any trimming once you got it home from the fishmonger? I've read that there is a thin membrane around it that many times isn't removed by the fishmonger. From what I understand - you can cook/eat it with the membrane, but at fine restaurants they usually remove it. I've never cooked with it.

[DTBarton]

Monkfish is one of my favorites to cook in soup, stew, chowder, bouillabaisse, gumbo, etc. It's sturdy texture holds up well in the pot and it is forgiving if it goes a little too long. I've found that it is so dense you have to cook it a little longer than you think to get the texture right.

[Pontormo]

Simply French (Patricia Wells) is a cookbook I picked up years ago, but then found nothing I really wanted to cook, that is, until recently. Besides having about 5-6 recipes for madeleines, Joel Robuchon's roasted monkfish is perfect now that tomatoes are in the markets.

Sliced onions and shallots (lots, halved) are placed in the bottom of a baking dish, topped with bay leaves, thyme sprigs and drizzled with olive oil. Salt. Fish next, membrane removed and divided into individual portions (around 1/2 lb ea.). Place thinly sliced zucchini, tomatoes and lemon around and on top of the fish, then pour in dry white wine, half way up sides. More thyme & evoo. Roast uncovered 350 F about 30-40 mins until fish is just cooked through.

[Daniel]

Pontormo I am a fan of Patricia Wells.. I have one of her books that has provided me with some good meals.. That sounds like nice recipe.. I also like the bacon wrapped ideas.. Looking forward to my next Monkfish encounter.

[rich]

Normally in church on Friday with some wafers and Gregorian Chant on the side and some wine in a gold or silver goblet to wash in down - preferably served by rotund men dressed in brown robes and sandels with a round bald spot on the back of their head.

Oh - don't forget the stained glass decor.

Edited August 8, 2006 by rich (log)

[Pontormo]

Normally in church on Friday with some wafers and Gregorian Chant on the side and some wine in a gold or silver goblet to wash in down - preferably served by rotund men dressed in brown robes and sandels with a round bald spot on the back of their head.

←

Any self-respecting religious community would use the refectory, south of the conventual church, close to the cloister! Monkfish would make a special meal there any day of the week, though St. Peter's fish might be even more welcome. Only bread and wine served in liturgical setting, though altars are decorated richly by laiety with offerings of fruit, cakes, etc. on special feast days, often devoted to local saints.

As for brown-clad, tonsured sandal-wearers, they're Franciscan friars, members of mendicant orders, not to be confused with monks. Brown distinguish them from the white or black habits worn in most Western convents based on Benedictine monasticism. Cistercian regulations expressly forbid gold and stained glass; just unadorned silver liturgical vessels such as the chalice for the wine.

N.B. No time for a search, but look for Adam Balic's compelling photographs of monkfish before they are skinned, gutted and filleted. They are one of the ugliest things you'd ever encounter in the sea. While the flesh may seem rich and therefore a potential trap for monks, friars or nuns fearful of the sin of gluttony, the fish's appearance is definitely a reassuring sign that it is humble fare.

Edited August 8, 2006 by Pontormo (log)

[rich]

As for brown-clad, tonsured sandal-wearers, they're Franciscan friars, members of mendicant orders, not to be confused with monks.  Brown distinguish them from the white or black habits worn in most Western convents based on Benedictine monasticism.  Cistercian regulations expressly forbid gold and stained glass; just unadorned silver liturgical vessels such as the chalice for the wine.

←

I was taught by Friars and while they wore sandals all the time, none of them ever were tonsured, but they did wear brown. My favorite Benedictine story has nothing to do with religion, but more to do with the drink - but that's a horse of another color.

Actually, monkfish got its name from the Monks of the Pyrenees who started the tradition of using the skin to make vessels that captured water so they were able to cleanse themselves from the sins of the impure lay world.

[ZenKimchi]

Okay, now I'm in the same situation as Daniel was. Only I have three whole mini monkfish with livers and roe sacks.

I'm thinking of poaching them in butter like Daniel with one of them and the others make into the Korean dish Agu Jjim -- monkfish simmered in red pepper paste and vegetables. The livers are delicate and small (small fish, you know). How about steaming them and slicing them thinly--trying to think of garnishes. The roe sacks--Al Tang (fish roe soup) is the only thing I can think of.

Pictures here:

Baby Monkfish

[Catriona]

Baby Monkfish, I'm not so sure, but what I tend to do for a really easy and deliviousd thing is to put it in a roasting dish with a tiny bit of ooil, salt and pepper, and some chili, with a tiny splash of white wine in the pan. Cover and roast for as long as it takes (20 minutes ish if it's in 2 inch long chunks of fillet).

MAke sure you serve it with something to mop up the juices - monkfish has a lot of liquid in it, but this way you have firm, meaty fish and you still enjoy the juices, too.

[ZenKimchi]

After much thought and considering the theme of my web site, I went all Asian/Korean with the monkfish.

- Monkfish Liver Sashimi

- Monkfish Roe Soup (Al Tang)

- Monkfish Simmered in Red Pepper Sauce (Agu Jjim)

Turned out great. Surprised.

[SheenaGreena]

that monkfish in the spicy broth is delicious!! It is a really great hangover cure

[menon1971]

Kind of simple I admit, but I think it works well: cut into medallions, sauteed in brown butter, capers, lemon juice to finish.

[Domestic Goddess]

ZenK - what's yuzu sauce in korean? How do I buy them from the store?