General Information
The monkfish is an ugly fish with a fairly flat body that ends in a very wide spiny head and a large mouth armed with teeth… despite its appearance, it is delicious!

The illicia of its dorsal fin are separate and the first one has a fleshy growth at its tip that makes it look like a fishing rod with a lure (hence its other name, “anglerfish.”) This is how the monkfish attracts its prey, which it then devours immediately.

Monkfish are caught in waterways and estuaries using fish corrals, creels and gillnets.

Maximum length: 1.2 metres; maximum weight: 27 kg
Fishing season: June to September

Culinary file

The flesh of the monkfish is so tender that the Portuguese used to call it the “chicken of the sea.”

The white boneless flesh of the tail, which ranges from 30 to 50 cm, is highly prized.

In Scandinavian countries, monkfish is called “kotlettfisch,” since the tail is cut up and cooked as cutlets.

Its firm flesh can be prepared like lobster.