Monkfish is often called the poor man’s lobster, thanks to Julia Child.
Monkfish was known as gooseberry fish or angler fish in the 1970s. Due to its ugly appearance and different, non-flaky texture, few American consumers will touch it. Fishermen sell angler fish to the market at very low prices. Fishermen at the time would often discard anglerfish instead of taking the time to clean them, pack them on ice and haul them back.
Julia Child with a whole monkfish in 1979. Image from nefsc.noaa.gov. Copyright 2000-2007 Getty Images. All rights reserved.
The interest of the American fishing industry at that time asked Julia Child to develop an angler fish recipe that would suit American tastes. After all, Julia is an expert in French cooking, and anglerfish is popular in France.
The recipe Julia invented is known as Poor Man's Lobster. She gave the dish its name, but it became popular as a market nickname for monkfish.
Back in the 1970s, the name monkfish was created and submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a new name for the anglerfish as a way to establish demand for this underutilized species. part of the effort.
It works. Monkfish is now highly prized around the world for its firm, lobster-like texture, sweet flavor and tender flesh. In America, people only eat tail meat and cheek meat. Monkfish liver is also popular in Japan and other Asian markets.
Monkfish Tail Fillet
Whole monkfish, a.k.a. poor man’s lobster.
Poor Man's Lobster Recipe
Poor Man's original lobster recipe was to boil it in butter and then bake it. The monk's tail was scored lengthwise, about an inch thick. Boil the fish tail for 5 minutes, then grill for another 5 minutes. The tail is strong and shaped like a lobster's tail. Spread with melted butter and serve with melted butter on the side. Like lobster! Bobo, also known as eel. The meat has no bones and is white. Unlike most fish, which are hard and brittle, eel meat becomes fluffy when cooked, much like lobster meat. They are the ugliest fish in the lake but one of the tastiest fish on your plate. Have a good appetite.