Slow growing, males live for about seven years and females for 13 years, migrating seasonally in spring and early summer to deeper water to spawn and breed. The monkfish’s teeth are hinged, all the better to hold on to prey, and its stomach is expandable, allowing it to eat fish almost as big as itself. Rather cleverly designed, the monkfish has a protuberance from the head – almost like a fishing rod – that can be moved in different directions and is used to attract small fish.
#Cooking monkfish skin#
Blunt spines sit under the loose skin and the fish has powerful pectoral fins. The monkfish has a flat body that is mottled dark brown and black and a pale underside.
Still, with a sweet and mild taste, and firm, meaty flesh, it is a winner with chefs and dinner party hosts alike. Found in deep waters around the UK and often caught off the coast in northern and western Scotland, south-western England as well as the north-east Atlantic and parts of the North Sea, this fish is a voracious feeder, eating shellfish, seabirds and other fish.įar from the cutest creature of the deep, the monkfish has scaleless mottled skin, a huge flat head and a gaping mouth filled with teeth. This character is highly regarded in the kitchen and well worth finding out about.Ī demersal species, monkfish buries itself in sediment as a disguise before ambushing its prey. And although it’s a flatfish, it’s not technically flat, but it’s certainly flatter than any round fish. To begin with, monkfish actually refers to a number of different fish, particularly the anglerfish. Easy to cook for even a novice home chef, this versatile fish is in a class of its own.īelonging to the Lophius genus, the monkfish is a bit of a conundrum. It might look like something from a horror film but don’t be put off by the monkfish’s tough exterior – inside, the sweet taste of the meaty flesh is a delight.
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