The Monkfish Caper

Once in a while, we break from our vegetarian menus and have fish for dinner if Michel finds something to his liking.  He can never walk past the fish counter at Whole Foods without taking a good look and asking a few questions about the offerings on display.  One of the fishmongers is a gregarious Chris Elliot (SNL) type who seems to enjoy answering questions as much as Michel enjoys asking them.  Most of the questions have to do with farmed vs. wild caught fish.  It’s important to know what your dinner had for dinner, if you know what I mean.   That’s a favorite topic of Mark Bittman; he’s far better informed and way more articulate than I am. 

Last Halloween, we spied an enormous, scary-looking fish head playfully lurching out of the ice alongside the other fresh fish for sale.  Michel immediately identified it as a monkfish and, of course, a lively exchange with the fishmonger ensued.  The monkfish head was there for a limited holiday engagement to lend a creepy touch to the Whole Foods Halloween Experience.   It worked.  We came home with a pound or so of monkfish tail for dinner.  It was delicious.  There’s a reason it’s called “poor man’s lobster.”

There is no question that the lowly monkfish is an ugly creature.  (There’s a Julia Child punch line in here somewhere but I’ll let you get there on your own. This photo is from the NOAA website below.)  The head and mouth of the monkfish dwarf the rest of its body.  Its tail meat is widely available in the U.S. but what Michel wants is monkfish liver—popular in Japanese cuisine.  He says it’s one of the best parts of the fish but the American market isn’t ready for it.  Of course, that doesn’t deter him from his quest.  I’m sure eventually he will find and prepare monkfish liver and you’ll find a post about it on this very blog. 

 

Here’s some information from NOAA if you’re into fish facts:  Fishwatch: U.S Seafood Facts

Monkfish with Capers

15-20 minutes, makes two servings

• One pound monkfish
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of capers in brine
• Salt and pepper

Cut monkfish into scallop-sized pieces, about 1½” thick

Salt and pepper monkfish pieces on both sides.

Heat olive oil in large skillet.

Place fish in hot oil and move pieces around to keep them from sticking. 

Cook on one side until a crust develops, then use tongs to turn.

Cook the other side the same way.

Lower heat to medium, then spoon in capers and a small amount of brine.

Tilt/turn the skillet to blend the brine with the olive oil.

Place fish on serving plate, then spoon capers on top. 

Pour liquid from skillet over fish and capers. 

Enjoy your poor man's lobster dinner!