In 1740, Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve wrote Beauty and the beast published in La Jeune Américaine, et Les Contes Marins. Few centuries later, in 2019 the guys at ARTiCOK restaurant cooked a beauty from the beast. Not only does the name of the tale fit perfectly for this risotto, but the whole moral of the story where we should not judge others by their appearances and outward characteristics yet cherish the inner beauty is spot on. I feel a lot of people are missing out on the fun because of this, the fear of not opening up to the unfathomed leading to a life of eating chicken breast and quattro formaggi gnocchi just because we’re too narrow minded to widen our horizons of what food can be.
The monkfish:
With it’s jaw resembling the gates of hell it’s clear as why the monkfish is repulsive to wide majority of the home cooks. But it’s not just to home cooks that have found it’s hideous appearance to be insurmountable. Up to the 1980’s monk fish was considered as worthless trash caught up in the nets of the fisherman mostly seeking for scallops or other shellfish. With the rising tide of the modern gastronomy, monkfish, what was once a bottom dweller has become a haute cuisine classic.
Buying monkfish:
As with all fish, the most important step is to buy the fish at a fish monger on a reputable fish market. The signs to look for concerning the freshness and quality are firm skin, slight and subtle fishy smell, shiny eyes and bright color.
What does monkfish taste like?
Monkfish has a very mild and slightly sweet taste. Unlike most fish it lacks that “fishy” aftertaste and due to it’s firm texture it’s often referred to as “the poor man’s lobster”. Due to it’s mild aroma, preparation of the monkfish is versatile. The subtly sweet, meaty lightness of the fish goes particularly well with pancetta, pork, citrusy marinades like lemons, capers as well as more eastern approach – fish curry.
Cleaning monkfish
With the beast placed on a cutting board fitted with a wet towel, start by making the cut behind the lateral fin and following the blade against the extent of the skull. Once the meat is separated, cut off the backbone connecting the tail to the head. Having removed the tail, now you have to skin the body. To do so, press down the widest part of the tail with your hand and pull the skin with the other. It should come off with little pressure. With a sharp knife, cut off the second layer of the skin and the membrane just under the surface. To fillet the tail, make a small cut on the opening of the backbone and slide your knife all the way through.
Also, what I forgot to include in the video is the monkfish cheek that’s well worth making an extra effort to take out.
Simply feel the cheek below the eye with your fingers then make an incision along the muscle. Separate the skin and run your knife along the outer end of the cheek then remove the meat by hand.
The base:
For the fish stock, you’re going to need something a tad stronger than just monkfish carcass, as I beforehand mentioned the lightness of it’s aroma. Tossing up a few small whitefish in the stock pot alongside the monkfish will suffice the lack of richness.
As for the sauce itself, with little adjustments from the adapted recipe I opted for a mediterranean classic trio – lemon, capers and dill. The lemon and capers bring out the mild flavour in the fish giving the risotto a deep rich mouthfeel whereas the dill’s grassy slightly sweet aroma balances the acidity.
