French Cooking: Marvelous Monkfish

“Comme elle est laide!” There is no doubt about it; the monkfish is an ugly fish. Call it what you want: “poor man’s lobster,” goosefish, lotte, allmouth, monktail, etc., it is not a beautiful sight. But, boy, is it good! It’s called the “tenderloin of the sea” for the wonderful texture and taste of the meat. Some say this fish was named because of its popularity with the monks of the Middle Ages. At that time, European fishermen sometimes encountered a bizarre-looking fish in their nets. More head than anything else, it was thrown back into the ocean. But what the fishermen didn’t want, the hungry monks began to enjoy. Others say that the brown and flappy skin of the fish looks like the robe of a monk as it washes in the waves of the ocean.