Credit: Courtesy Northeast Fisheries Science Center/NOAA |
Maine – With their beady eyes, huge mouths and jagged rows of razorlike teeth, monkfish resemble something straight out of a Stephen King novel.
These hideous, Gulf of Maine bottom-dwellers are voracious feeders eating about anything that swims in front of them – even each other. Monkfish are so ugly, they make the humble, spotty-and-bewhiskered codfish seem handsome by comparison. |
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But they sure are tasty, according to the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.
Have you ever tried monkfish?
Monkfish are plentiful in Maine waters but not well known to Mainers. Much of the local catch gets exported to Europe where it’s subject to large price swings, based on fluctuating demand. A bigger local market for the fish would help stabilize the price for Maine fishermen, helping them run their businesses more efficiently.
That’s why the Fishermen’s Association is launching a new, frozen, heat-and-serve monkfish stew this week. It’s the association’s first foray into the value-added food business. The nonprofit hopes the stew will help jumpstart local awareness, as well as demand, for the ugly-yet-edible monkfish. |
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