Have you gone to your favorite seafood restaurant recently and noticed a new fish being featured? Monkfish is coming in hot this season, like never before. "The Poor Man's Lobster" has been seen on many menus and, though it can be hard, you should take a step out of your comfort zone and try it! This fish is caught on the coast between Maine and North Carolina and has a sweet, mild flavor with a texture that closely resembles lobster meat.
- Monkfish is rich in Protein, Phosphorus, Vitamin B6, B12, and Selenium
- Monkfish can help with bone health, boosting immunity, strengthening muscles, improving cognitive functions, improving gut health, and helping skin and hair
- Monkfish is very low in Mercury
- Monkfish is low in both sodium and calories, but is high in cholesterol
Recipes:
Monkfish in Tomato Garlic Sauce (foodandwine.com)
- 1/4 cup and 3 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 heads Garlic plus 4 large cloves, peeled and very thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Sweet Paprika
- 1 cup canned Crushed Tomatoes
- 2 cups Water
- Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
- Eight 6-ounce cleaned Monkfish Fillets
Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large skillet, warm 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Add the sliced garlic and cook slowly over very low heat, shaking the skillet, until the garlic is deep golden, 15 minutes. Remove about 1/4 cup of garlic slices to a plate and reserve. Add the paprika to the garlic in the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook over moderately high heat for 1 minute. Add the water and simmer until the sauce has reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
In a very large skillet, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Cook over high heat until browned on the bottom, 2 minutes. Turn the fish, transfer to the oven, and roast until just cooked through, 15 minutes.
Transfer the fish to a large, warmed platter. Pour any juices from the skillet into the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Spoon the sauce onto plates and set the fish on top. Scatter the fried garlic over the fish and serve right away.
Baked Monkfish (bakeitwithlove.com)
- 1 lb Monkfish
- 1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt and Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Rinse the monkfish, then pat your fillets dry using paper towels. Lightly coat the fish on all sides with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder.
Bake in the middle of your oven's center rack at 400°F (205°C) for 12-15 minutes, depending on your monkfish fillet thickness.
Once the fillets have cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Spiced Monkfish (cuisinefiend.com)
- 2 Monkfish Tail Fillets
- Fine Sea Salt
- 1 Shallot
- 1 cm Ginger Root
- 1 teaspoon Korean Chili Powder (Gochugaru)
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- Pinch Saffron
- 2 tablespoons Creme Fraiche
- 100 ml Chicken Stock
- Chopped Parsley for garnish
1. Monkfish needs firming up before cooking, otherwise it releases a lot of water whilst being cooked. Sprinkle the fillets generously with salt, chill for at least half an hour then rinse off the salt and pat dry.
In the meantime peel and finely dice the shallot. Peel the ginger and cut it into thin matchsticks.
Cut the fish into generous bite-sized chunks. Mix the gochugaru, turmeric and ½ tsp salt together and dip the monkfish pieces in the mix.
Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the monkfish pieces, the diced shallot and ginger and cook for a minute. Sprinkle the saffron over the dish and turn the monkfish pieces over.
Turn the heat up, add the crème fraiche and the stock and bubble away for another 1-2 minutes.
Transfer to serving bowls or dishes and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with plain rice.
