Flavour-wise, though it’s often called “poor man’s lobster”, I on no level tasted that type of sweetness or butteryness. In fact, the overall taste is fairly mild, almost like a muted tuna, and while apparently it (and it’s liver) are used in sushi and sashimi I wouldn’t recommend it raw to the squeamish or the overly sensitive. Even as fresh as possible (it was practically still swimming when I bought my fillets in Kensington market) the smell and texture is... odd to put it mildly. Unlike any “fish” smell I’ve ever experienced, it is pungent and lingers on your fingers even after washing, although that disappears with even quick cooking. However, it
I mentioned that monkfish will give your home an oh-so-lovely aroma when you choose to steam it. Well, it was never mentioned to me, and so what do you guess I did with the first round of my catch (I froze the other 2 portions)? Yup, I steamed the sucker. Thankfully, the meal tasted absolutely fantastic – a little salty (I would reduce the tamari by ½-1 tbsp and definitely use low-sodium broth), and the “fishy” smell infiltrated the vegetables a little bit – but it wasn’t obtrusive. Next time I’d probably just pan-sear the fish, poach the veggies and combine them at the end in the bowl with a nice side of brown Basmati.
Steamed Asian Monkfish with Poached Vegetables
Serves 1
½ cup vegetable broth
2 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp grated ginger
3.5 oz broccoli, chopped
12 green beans, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
5 oz raw monkfish, cubed
1 tbsp minced green onion (I used the green parts of my Egyptian onion)
- In a deep saute pan, bring broth, tamari, honey and ginger to a boil.
- Add all the vegetables, cover and cook 3 minutes.
- Drizzle lime juice over monkfish cubes and season with pepper.
- Lay fish on top of the vegetables, cover and cook 3 minutes.
- Remove vegetables and fish with a slotted spoon and keep warm.
- Bring liquid to a boil and reduce for 5 minutes, until thickened.
- Spoon vegetables into a bowl, pour hot sauce overtop and garnish with minced green onion tops (and Siracha if desired).
Calories: 276.1
Total Fat: 2.7 g
Cholesterol: 50.0 mg
Sodium: 2,604.9 mg
Total Carbs: 37.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 7.3 g
Protein: 29.7 g
I don't remember eating Monkfish or seeing it at the market. That's a healthy meal.
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