Monkfish

During the Lenten season, it might be interesting to learn a bit about some different fish products.  One of my favorite history lessons is on the Monkfish.  Monkfish were caught unintentionally (called bycatch) and had little to no value.  They have a thick skin like a catfish, a gigantic head in proportion to their body and scary looking teeth.  My kids think it looks like a sea monster.

Since no one would  buy monkfish, it was donated to the Church to feed the monks, hence its name. That is until the public found out that it tastes and has the texture of lobster. Some people call monkfish “Poor Man’s Lobster”.

Quaker Valley sells monkfish fillets (QVF# 5400200), so that the product is all cleaned up and ready to be used, and it’s only $2.999/lb. and comes in 22 pound boxes. It’s wild caught and from Brazil. It’s easy to prepare too.  I put a little Old Bay on it and pan fry it a few minutes on each side until the product is white throughout.  Serve with melted butter and you will be surprised how you can have the lobster taste, without the lobster price.

Martha Stewart did an episode on the Monkfish as well.  You can view it here:  http://www.marthastewart.com/919146/monkfish-poor-mans-lobster