Monkfish - salting it.....

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creative

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I recently cooked and tasted monkfish for the first time. I found the texture was like meat (a bit offputting for fish) and that it had next to no flavour....just a slight bitter tang. I baked it (as recommended), covered, with a little butter.

On consulting my cookery books (which I guess I should have done, rather than relied on the baking instructions on the packet) I find that monkfish should be salted before being cooked. This seems merely to stop it from shrinking so, presumably, would not add anything to the flavour? What are your thoughts on this. (I am not sure whether the fish would have been presalted before packaging...guess I need to check this out).

Has anyone cooked monkfish without salting it first then (at another time) tried salting it? If so, how did they compare?
 
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I recently cooked and tasted monkfish for the first time. I found the texture was like meat (a bit offputting for fish) and that it had next to no flavour....just a slight bitter tang. I baked it (as recommended), covered, with a little butter.

On consulting my cookery books (which I guess I should have done, rather than relied on the baking instructions on the packet) I find that monkfish should be salted before being cooked. This seems merely to stop it from shrinking so, presumably, would not add anything to the flavour? What are your thoughts on this. (I am not sure whether the fish would have been presalted before packaging...guess I need to check this out).

Has anyone cooked monkfish without salting it first then (at another time) tried salting it? If so, how did they compare?

S&P are pretty standard seasoning for fish when I cook it, besides any other seasoning/flavoring. I've never had monk fish, because they are never whole for inspection.
 
S&P are pretty standard seasoning for fish when I cook it, besides any other seasoning/flavoring. I've never had monk fish, because they are never whole for inspection.
This is more than seasoning - involves salting to draw out water and is a preparation to be done 1 hour before cooking. See 'how to cook' on the link below

www.greatbritishchefs.com/how-to-cook/how-to-cook-monkfish
 
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This is more than seasoning - involves salting to draw out water and is a preparation to be done 1 hour before cooking. See 'how to cook' on the link below

www.greatbritishchefs.com/how-to-cook/how-to-cook-monkfish

The link doesn't work, but I believe I understand the method. The idea is once the salt draws out the moisture, some of it will dissolve and be drawn into the fish. How long it sets, determines how much gets drawn in.
 
You should always salt fish before cooking it. Otherwise it will be pretty unappetizing.

I use monkfish for chowder.
This isn't about ordinary seasoning but a procedure of specifically salting the fish - or even brining it - 1 hour beforehand.
 
Yes Craig - I know the link doesn't work. I tried various combinations, but if you highlight it then you can copy and paste it into the URL window. It will work that way.

So, for those who have tried monkfish....do you salt it in this way beforehand? Have you tried it without doing this also? If so, how do they compare.
 
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I recently cooked and tasted monkfish for the first time. I found the texture was like meat (a bit offputting for fish) and that it had next to no flavour....just a slight bitter tang. I baked it (as recommended), covered, with a little butter.

On consulting my cookery books (which I guess I should have done, rather than relied on the baking instructions on the packet) I find that monkfish should be salted before being cooked. This seems merely to stop it from shrinking so, presumably, would not add anything to the flavour? What are your thoughts on this. (I am not sure whether the fish would have been presalted before packaging...guess I need to check this out).

Has anyone cooked monkfish without salting it first then (at another time) tried salting it? If so, how did they compare?
I've been cooking Monk fish since it was cheap and often used as a sneaky substitute for Dublin Bay prawns (langoustines) for cheap pub basket meals (ie 30-35 years) and I have NEVER seen a recipe or read an article that suggested salting/brining it. What I will say is, that unlike many fish, small is not best. With monk fish the larger fish are more tasty it will be. Look for French recipes for cooking monk fish or "lotte" which is the French name for it.

Jane Grigson in her "Fish Cookery" suggests serving it hot with a cream sauce, hollandaise or tomato based sauces or cold with mayo. She has several French recipes such as Lotte a l'Americaine (or Amoricaine, ie Brittany, depending on where you think the recipe comes from), Lotte en Brochette (grilled on skewers with smoked bacon and a piece of bay leaf between them) and "Tourte Béarnaise a la Lotte" which is a quiche sort o dish.

I tried all of these in the days when the angler fish was a curiosity on the slab serving as a window decoration that no-one could possibly want to eat. The fishmonger thought I'd completely lost it when I asked to buy the "tail"! He practically gave it to me. I think it was something like 50 pence for the whole thing minus the head which I drew the line at. Can't afford it now it's so fashionable it's priced itself out of my pocket.

Incidentally, anyone who is or wishes to become a food and cooking genius should have Jane Grgsons books. She was unrivalled and still is in her approach to food and cooking it. The books make fascinating reading even when you aren't cooking.
 
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I think that monkfish works best cooked in a sauce. In fact that is what is on the menu tonight. I have steamed some sliced bulb fennel and incorporated that in a white sauce with mixed peppercorns, chopped a few of the fennel leaves and salt to taste. Later I will add the monkfish and cook it in the oven 180c for about 30mins. Serving with mashed potato. I have also made Korma curry with monkfish and that works really well as the fish holds its shape and is delicate in flavor. Makes a nice change from chicken.
 
S&P are pretty standard seasoning for fish when I cook it, besides any other seasoning/flavoring. I've never had monk fish, because they are never whole for inspection.
Craig, you wouldn't want to see it whole. It's incredibly ugly

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=angler+fish&biw=1607&bih=631&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=1DrnVOOvBMW2Uc_Qg7AE&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&dpr=0.85#imgdii=_&imgrc=662fgkREsF2BNM%253A%3Bzks3cbMc-nqxXM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.cgarena.com%252Fgallery%252F3d%252Fdetails%252Ffullimages%252Fscenes%252Fimage_4caa0ac3a8212.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fall-that-is-interesting.com%252Fbizarre-ocean-creatures%252F7%3B1600%3B1200

Link not for the faint-hearted! It has its own little fishing rod to catch its supper
 
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I know what it looks like. I was referring to my personal refusal to buy fish parts without seeing what the assembled, whole version looks like. That old freshness obsession I have.;)
 
I think that monkfish works best cooked in a sauce. In fact that is what is on the menu tonight. I have steamed some sliced bulb fennel and incorporated that in a white sauce with mixed peppercorns, chopped a few of the fennel leaves and salt to taste. Later I will add the monkfish and cook it in the oven 180c for about 30mins. Serving with mashed potato. I have also made Korma curry with monkfish and that works really well as the fish holds its shape and is delicate in flavor. Makes a nice change from chicken.
This suggests, as I suspected, that the fish is bland i.e. if it works best with a sauce.

Have never understood using fish in a curry since the delicate flavour of fish is surely overpowered by the spices? I realise though that the texture of monkfish would stand up well to this treatment though.
 
I've been cooking Monk fish since it was cheap and often used as a sneaky substitute for Dublin Bay prawns (langoustines) for cheap pub basket meals (ie 30-35 years) and I have NEVER seen a recipe or read an article that suggested salting/brining it. What I will say is, that unlike many fish, small is not best. With monk fish the larger fish are more tasty it will be. Look for French recipes for cooking monk fish or "lotte" which is the French name for it.

Jane Grigson in her "Fish Cookery" suggests serving it hot with a cream sauce, hollandaise or tomato based sauces or cold with mayo. She has several French recipes such as Lotte a l'Americaine (or Amoricaine, ie Brittany, depending on where you think the recipe comes from), Lotte en Brochette (grilled on skewers with smoked bacon and a piece of bay leaf between them) and "Tourte Béarnaise a la Lotte" which is a quiche sort o dish.

I tried all of these in the days when the angler fish was a curiosity on the slab serving as a window decoration that no-one could possibly want to eat. The fishmonger thought I'd completely lost it when I asked to buy the "tail"! He practically gave it to me. I think it was something like 50 pence for the whole thing minus the head which I drew the line at. Can't afford it now it's so fashionable it's priced itself out of my pocket.

Incidentally, anyone who is or wishes to become a food and cooking genius should have Jane Grgsons books. She was unrivalled and still is in her approach to food and cooking it. The books make fascinating reading even when you aren't cooking.
Thanks for this detailed post. Helpful. The context/reason for salting is given as ridding it of its excess water content (implying it would have a better flavour). I baked it (without this salting procedure) with some butter and it did produce a lot of liquid but of course this was not wasted. I was very disappointed since I had been expecting a strong flavour....not at all the case! I dislike the close (almost grisly) texture of it so, unless I find here (in a future post) that salting it does indeed improve the flavour, will not bother with it.

Yes I delved into Grigson's cook books decades ago. Fish is her forte.
 
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Wouldn't salting and drawing out the liquid prior to cooking make it even more "gristly"? Especially since it's already firm and chewy to start. Sounds like MC's methods would be better.
 
I know what it looks like. I was referring to my personal refusal to buy fish parts without seeing what the assembled, whole version looks like. That old freshness obsession I have.;)

It's nice that you have that option. If I was that selective, I'd never be able to eat fish, and that would be a shame. A great many people live far from the seashore, yet we somehow manage to survive by eating fish that has usually been flash frozen shortly after being unloaded on the mother ship of the fleet and shipped that way to the markets which are our only resource for seafood.

Even while I lived in the Bahamas, my timing had to be just right to get fresh grouper or hogfish (or wahoo, or mahi-mahi, etc.), otherwise it was quickly filleted and frozen. Most of what I bought there on the island was locally caught, bought just off the dock where the fishermen brought in their catches, yet if I missed by a couple of hours, it was already in the freezer.

We do get great beef here in rural Colorado though - and can buy it on the hoof - hogs too, so I guess that's a trade off.
 
We eat and ate Monkfish long before it became fashionable.
I have heard it called poor mans lobster before as its texture is quite firm.
I have found Monkfish to be one one the seas finest fish for consumption.
Its delicious and very adaptable to most any cooking method.
Broiled or grilled with a little butter and lemon is easy enough and very, very good.
No special sauce needed. IMO.
 
We eat and ate Monkfish long before it became fashionable.
I have heard it called poor mans lobster before as its texture is quite firm.
I have found Monkfish to be one one the seas finest fish for consumption.
Its delicious and very adaptable to most any cooking method.
Broiled or grilled with a little butter and lemon is easy enough and very, very good.
No special sauce needed. IMO.
This is the way I had it growing up. We also called it "poor man's lobster" and it was one of my dad's specialties. He would poach it in a little milk and serve with drawn butter and lemon.

I can't recall if he salted it beforehand, though. It's entirely possible.
 
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I was very disappointed since I had been expecting a strong flavour....not at all the case! I dislike the close (almost grisly) texture of it so,


Monkfish is a very mild-flavored fish.

I've been cooking and eating it for 30 years (without pre-salting to pull out moisture) and I've never found it gristley (sp?). If it's tough, you might be overcooking it.
 
Monkfish is a very mild-flavored fish.

I've been cooking and eating it for 30 years (without pre-salting to pull out moisture) and I've never found it gristley (sp?). If it's tough, you might be overcooking it.
No it wasn't tough. I cooked it perfectly (as directed on the package)...if anything very slightly undercooked in the thickest part...perhaps this accounts for the slightly grisly texture there. It is very close textured though...not appealing for a white fish - I guess I prefer a flaky texture.
 
Well, I had been waiting for a post that tried monkfish both ways, i.e. as it comes and the presalting method (one hour before cooking - to rid of its water content). I think I may have talked myself out of wanting to try it again, unless someone says how transformed it is after presalting, i.e. more flavourful compared to cooking it straight.
 

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