Back in the culinary Jurassic when fresh cod cod was actually cheap there was even less expensive fish I prized–monkfish. All flavor, meaty texture, and almost no bones. At the time, recently out of college, I was working at an upscale French restaurant that served lotte (as the French call monkfish) in a cream sauce for lunch. Monkfish had not yet gained enough traction to flop atop American mainstream fish counters. I bought my first lotte whole from a fishmonger in Haymarket Square in Boston, a toothy goggle-eyed monster that might have escaped from Beowulf’s cave. I paid $.89/lb for it. The seafood for this week’s Pesce all’ Acqua Pazza–Monkfish in Crazy Water costs way more than 89¢ a pound, but it’s still half the price of cod and much tastier.
If you’re late to the monkfish party it is sometimes described as “poor man’s lobster,” presumably for the knotty quality of its flesh when overcooked (like the springy thing that happens to lobster left in the pot too long). The same thing can happen if you don’t remove the integument (skin) covering monkish filets–it tightens up during cooking, so make the effort. Overcooking aside, what lobster and monkfish really share is luxurious flavor married to a satisfying texture. While the texture of the monkfish may recall lobster, it’s a distant memory and if you’re looking for lobster flavor monkfish will disappoint. It’s more nuanced than lobster, goes well with cream (as the French have known all along), yet definitely asserts itself as fish, not a crustacean. We love it so much that we cooked it for guests at our wedding (our own bit of madness I wouldn’t recommend) in the form of a monkfish bouride. Guests sniffed, tasted and when informed of what it was, responded, “Oh, is this the poor man’s lobster?”
Acqua pazza, “crazy water” in Italian, refers to a Neapolitan tradition for cooking fish in seawater flavored with olive oil and tomatoes (insane, right?). Regional Italians have a notable history of stone-souping whatever’s at hand–think Acqua Cotta (water and wild herbs) of the Maremma, and Acquarello (water plus grape skins and stems; also called Acqua Pazza) of Tuscany. But water + something else ≠ thin, watery thing, especially in this recipe, in which the crazy water is cooked into an aromatic tomato-ey elixir of goodness. If you’re not ready to roll with monkfish, you can use one of the other options Jody points out below. Just be glad you’re not cooking it for your own wedding reception. Enjoy. Ken
Pesce All’ Acqua Pazza – Monkfish in Crazy Water
Ingredients:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 12 pearl onions, peeled and cut in half
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small hot pepper, sliced paper thin—you can adjust the amount of pepper you include, depending on how spicy you’d like the stew to be.
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½ cup sweet white wine
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes*
- ½ teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
- 1 strip of orange zest ½ inch wide
- 2 cups water
- ½ pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- ¼ cup basil cut into chiffonade, plus 12 whole leaves for garnish
- 2 pounds monkfish, trimmed of skin and veins, and cut into 4-inch pieces
- 4 large slices toasted or grilled rustic bread brushed with extra virgin olive oil
* In the summer when delicious fresh tomatoes are plentiful, use 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped into ½-inch dice, instead of canned tomatoes.
Directions:
- In a large deep-sided pan, heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, cut side down, season with salt,sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip the onions, add the sliced pepper and garlic and cook just until they release their perfume about a minute. Be careful not to let the garlic burn. Add the wine and reduce to a glaze. Add the canned tomatoes, fennel seed and orange zest, season with salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the water and cook until the liquid has reduced by half, about 40 minutes.
- Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Taste and adjust seasonings. If the sauce is too acidic, add a half teaspoon or so of sugar. Stir in half the basil.
- Season the fish on each side with salt and pepper and add, skin side down, if there is one, to the pan. Cook until golden brown and the skin is crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer the fish to a plate, seared side up, add the cherry tomatoes to the pan and sear. Toss with the remaining basil.
- Add the fish to the tomato sauce skin side up, this time, and cook over a low heat until the fish is done, an additional 5 minutes or so.
- Set the toasted bread in 4 warm flat soup bowls. Spoon the fish with some sauce over the bread. Top with cherry tomatoes.
Jody Notes:
Who wouldn’t want to make this dish? The name alone is compelling, and the steps are super simple. In the summer, I throw a corn cob into the broth when it is simmering and then add kernels in the stew. It’s also fantastic with swordfish, clams or mussels.
The Garum Factory 
Oh my – this looks fantastic! Can’t wait to make it!!
From: The Garum Factory <comment-reply@wordpress.com> Reply-To: The Garum Factory <comment+rf40ghycty0drk2qgvstlcam@comment.wordpress.com> Date: Friday, December 5, 2014 6:31 AM To: Charlotte Davis <charlotte.davis@wholefoods.com> Subject: [New post] PESCE ALL’ ACQUA PAZZA–MONKFISH IN CRAZY WATER
Jody and Ken posted: ” Back in the culinary Jurassic when fresh cod cod was actually cheap there was even less expensive fish I prized–monkfish. All flavor, meaty texture, and almost no bones. At the time, recently out of college, I was working at an “
Hi, Charlotte–I think you’ll like this. It was with a deep sense of regret that I reached the end of the leftovers from this post. Happy Holidays to everyone–and I hope you enjoy some good barbecue over Christmas. Ken
Hey folks. So good to have you back, and what an entrance! MmmMm. Though we will have to make it with some hideous farmed shrimp from China down here it looks fabulous. We hope you both have enjoyed not having the pressure of everyone’s weekly high expectations, I made the ginger chili granita last night for some locally grown watermelon. Was probably driven by your preparing this post. Who knew? Enjoy the Holidays and best of health for the New Year. xo Us
I love that recipe–and how perfect for where you are! Sorry to hear about the Chinese shrimp–don’t you get swordfish or salmon (hey, if the shrimp are frozen…)? Thanks for the holiday wishes–all the same to both of you. Maybe we’ll cross paths on bikes again in 2015! (Believe me, I need the exercise.) Ken
The Garum Factory is back! All is right again with one small corner of the world.
Thank you, Alison. We try to keep our corner looking nice. :-) Ken
Welcome back, you’ve been much missed. That looks fabulous, as ever. Is monkfish really cheaper than cod, Stateside? It’s more than twice as expensive here. I may have to emigrate.
HI, Linda–For a long time monkfish was considered “trash” fish here, then a modest industry developed to ship it to France. But even after Julia Child began extolling its virtues, which brought it widespread attention, it remained quite inexpensive. Cod is not quite as astronomical here as, say, wild salmon, but it’s still pretty high, especially for fresh true Atlantic cod. In fact there was recently a scandal here about fish labelled as cod on restaurant menus that clearly was something else. I suspect monkfish is more expensive where you are because you’re more sophisticated an appreciate it. Happy Holidays! Ken
I’d love to think we were more sophisticated but it used to be under-rated here too and was used in breaded scampi. Been hugely expensive for ages though, sadly. Happy holidays to you too – don’t work too hard. Lx
PS I fed cod to a pair of Canadian some years ago and they looked at me as though I’d given them cat food. Apparently it was seen as a “poor people’s” fish. Probably not any more though. :)
Linda, I thought you might be interested in this, from the NYTimes, 12/15/14, about how cod fisheries are collapsing in New England, partly due to warming water. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/15/us/waters-warm-in-gulf-of-maine-and-cod-catch-ebbs.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3As%2C%7B%222%22%3A%22RI%3A17%22%7D&_r=0#
Ken
That is interesting, thanks, and worrying for the industry. Cod stocks were reported to have improved here in the North Sea last year but this report suggests we have a similar problem to you:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/aug/02/gurnard-and-chips-cod-warmer-seas-uk-fish-stock
Thank you, Linda. This is just so fucking depressing. With the recent election results the head of the science committee in the US Senate is about to be headed by a man from Oklahoma who doesn’t believe in climate change. Ken
Oh, good grief. Words fail.
Linda–I’m currently in Paris, where I just bought monkfish for 4 at the Marché de Bastille for 48E/kilo! Unbelievable. We bought a little over a kilo (bone in) at the poissoniere’s suggestion for 4 people–you do the math. Clearly lotte (monkfish) is astoundingly more expensive this side of the pond. We pay about a third of the price in Boston. However, I saw some AMAZING fish–huge!–monkfish of a size I’ve never seen in the US. These all came from Brittany, I was told. All very interesting. Sidenote: I could permanentlly restrict myself to comestibles available at the Marché de Bastille and never shop anywhere else. Ken
Told you! Eye-wateringly expensive. But I know what you mean about French markets. If I lived in Paris I’d probably never cook for myself again. Maybe. :)
Have a fab trip.
That looks tasty! I am going to try it. I better make sure that I have lots of good bread too for that beautiful sauce.
Thank you, Beppe! Ken
Oooooh this is so totally mouthwatering! Cod is pure luxury in Norway too now, and salmon so cheap. Lambshanks are en vogue and suddenly so expensive compared to all the “better” parts of the lamb.
Wishing you a happy weekend, take care!
Dina
Thank you, Dina. Salmon (farmed) is cheap everywhere these days, just as wild whatever becomes increasingly expensive. We went through a surge of interest in lamb shanks a few years ago. They’re still around, although increasingly two people tend to split a single large one rather than grappling with an entire one per person. Ken
This looks and sounds amazing! I’m going to have to find myself some monkfish.
…or swordfish or even salmon. You’ll be rewarded in any event. Thanks. Ken
So nice to see you here again, Ken and Jody! Great recipe. When I was a fish monger after school during high school I learned all about the “poor man’s lobster”. I never understood why it was so cheap. I really liked it. Not many people bought it thought. This recipe looks like it brings tons of flavor to a subtle but delicious fish. I love the use of orange zest. I’m definitely making this one. Lol re Beowulf. :)
Thank you, Amanda. It’s a pretty versatile dish. I spent most of my time talking about monkfish, but it’s great with just about any fish that’s firm enough to stand up to the searing and poaching and goes with tomatoes. Ken
OH ps..i finally got my prime lens 50mm 1.8. So excited.
Hahaha! Which one? Canon or Sigma?
Nikon. So now i have the d5100 with the nikkor 50 mm 1.8 and a nifty new hood!
Your mention of poor man’s lobster reminded me of this article and a time when the poor man’s lobster was lobster: http://www.gma.org/lobsters/allaboutlobsters/lobsterhistory.html
Thanks for the reminder. The idea that you harvested lobsters by walking along the shore and picking them up with your hands they were so plentiful is just extraordinary. Or course the whaling industry started in small inshore boats too. Ken
Reblogged this on cheffixit and commented:
Beautiful photos of prepping monk fish. Monk fish use to be the poor man’s lobster. Always remove the grayish skin enclosing it with a sharp knife.
Thank you! Ken
What a treat to have you back… Recipe sounds awesome plus as usual the photos are wonderful… Thanks for making my Friday morning complete!
Thank you, BA. Happy to be back. Ken
We typically eat monkfish in hot pots but eating its liver might be more common than eating the meat. The liver goes very well with Japanese sake.
And your monkfish dish looks great.
Haha. Thanks. Ken
Hi, Ayako–I’ve seen the liver for sale in a Cambridge market that caters to Japanese, but the pale color has put me off. Don’t know why (I do like liver). How is it prepared? Thanks. Ken
I believe generally steamed with sake and very often seasoned with rice vinegar and daikon mixed with chili garnished with scallions. Or at least that’s what is most often served in izakaya. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izakaya
Hmm… I feel the tingle of an approaching blog post. :-) Ken
That would be challenging and I don’t even like vinegar…! ^^
Beautiful dish. Great name. And great to see you back.
Hi, Michelle–I know, “crazy water” – it’s as if I got to invent their colorful phrases and fabricated their etymologies. Thanks for cheers. Ken
Reblogged this on Cappuccino.
Thank you! Ken
Lovely to see you here again…This little corner of the internet was left sad without you. Beautiful dish. What a thing of beauty is crazy water. And I love monkfish – it seems to be friendly with saffron and risotto, I think?
Very friendly with saffron risotto. Of course, saffron risotto is quite friendly in its own right. Happy you enjoyed the post. The new schedule makes it much more fun. Ken
Ciao, sono un Napoletano ho appena visitato il suo blog e mi complimento per le meravigliose ricette. Le immagini sono deliziose. :)
Ciao, Vincenzo–Mille grazie. It is delicious. :-) Ken
This post is beautiful – I want to eat it! I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. :)
Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Ken