Monkfish

Know this

You are only ever buying the tail. The head is roughly half the animal and almost all of it is mouth, so it comes off at the dock and the fish reaches you looking like a boneless loin. Chef secret: the grey membrane over the flesh has to come off completely. Leave any of it on and the fillet will curl and shrink into a rubber band the second it hits heat.

Cook

Treat it like meat, not fish. Sear hard, then finish in the oven. It takes far longer than a flaky white fish and it will not fall apart on you.

Season

Fall through winter in the Northeast.

Best pairings

Brown butter · Capers · Saffron · Leek · Bacon · White beans

Also worth trying: fennel, tomato, paprika, sherry, parsley, garlic, chorizo, lemon.

Recommended wine