Only the tail is commonly eaten: a single dense muscle that roasts and grills like meat. Chefs like monkfish because it holds shape in stews and takes sauce without falling apart.
Undercook slightly rather than simmer it like soup meat for 40 minutes unless the recipe is a true long stew.
Also called
Monkfish · Lotte · Rape · Coda di rospo · Anglerfish
Best cooking methods
Roast medallions · Wrapped grill · Curry or stew cubes · Bacon-wrapped roast
Buying the tail
Look for firm, pearly meat with the membrane trimmed or left on as instructed by the recipe. Grey, watery, or fishy-smelling tails are tired. Ask the fishmonger to remove the central cartilage if you want clean medallions.
Restaurant orders
French lotte, Spanish rape, and Italian coda di rospo all point at the same idea. If the sauce is the whole story, still ask how the tail is cooked so it is not rubber.