Poor Man's Lobster - Baked Monkfish Tails

Have you tried baked monkfish tails?

Monkfish tails or stargazer fish are often affectionately known as poor man's lobster, and in this recipe you won't be disappointed that you are not eating lobster at all.

With boneless fish fillets, stuffed with lemon slices, wrapped in bacon and baked in the oven, this is a luxurious, healthy dish that is perfect for special occasions, such as Christmas Eve.

This dish is also easy to prepare in advance, giving you more time to relax and have fun.

Enjoy!

Jump to:

• What is poor man's lobster?
• ❤️ Why you will love this recipe
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🍽 Equipment
• 🔪 Instructions
• ⏲️ Baking time
• 🥗 Side dishes
• 🥙Substitutions
• 📖Variations
• 🍣Storage
• More fish recipes
• 📋 Recipe
• Seafood
• 💬 Comments

What is poor man's lobster?

This is a term, predominantly given to monkfish, as it is a ground feeder like lobster and has a firm flesh without bones. It has a delicate flavour that is sweet like lobster and holds it's shape without flaking.

It's found all around the British Isles all year long and varieties are also found all over the world with different names, such as:

• stargazer fish - Australia
• all mouth - because the fish has a huge mouth and seems to be all mouth and tail with nothing in between!
• angler fish -US
• goosefish
• lotte - France
• fishing frog
• molligut
• abbot
• sea-devil

In fact, I actually prefer this fish to lobster and one monkfish tail has so much more meat.

❤️ Why you will love this recipe

✔️Easy to prepare - there's just one bone to remove.

✔️Cheaper - approximate cost for lobster is £38 per kilogram and £21 for monkfish.

✔️Mild, sweet taste that is not overly fishy.

✔️Holds its shape when cooking.

✔️Low in fat and full of protein.

✔️ Tastes like lobster!

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🥘 Ingredients

There's just a few simple ingredients in this dish.

• Monkfish - a whole tail will normally feed 4 people and it's usually stocked skinned with just the central backbone in place.
• Bacon - smoked and streaky. This helps to keep the fillets together but also keeps the fish juicy. Bacon goes so well with prawns, scallops and white fish and means that there is no need to add more salt to the dish.
• Lemon - A lemon for the stuffing.
• Oil - vegetable oil, olive oil or sunflower oil.
• Pepper - freshly ground black pepper.

The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post.

🍽 Equipment

• Sharp knife
• Tongs
• Large frying pan or skillet
• Oven tray
• Kitchen string

🔪 Instructions

If the fish still has its skin on then use a sharp knife to loosen it and peel it off. There may be fins on the outside but these are easy to slice off.

Place the monkfish on a cutting board and use your fingers to feel for the backbone down the middle.

Start cutting along the length of the bone, trying not to leave any flesh behind. Repeat on the other side of the bone. You will end up with two fillets.

💭 Top tip

• Save a bag in the freezer and put in fish shells and bones as you prepare them. When the bag weighs about a pound or 500g, use to make a fish stock.

Cut the top and base off the lemon with a paring knife and carefully remove the remaining skin.

Cut the lemon into slices and remove any pips.

Lay the slices on the cut side of one of the fillets.

Arrange the bacon on a chopping board, slightly overlapping but with enough to cover the length of the fish.

Season with the pepper then place the other fillet on top.

Wrap the bacon around the fillets then tie at 4cm, 2 inch intervals with string.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and sear the fish all over to get a golden colour.

⏲️ Baking time

Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/160 FAN/Gas 4 and bake for 20 minutes.

Leave the fish to rest for 5 minutes, loosely covered in foil, before carving into slices.

Now you can enjoy your poor man's lobster, baked monkfish tails, stargazer fish or whatever you call it where you live!

🥗 Side dishes

Try some of these salads or side dishes.

• Samphire
• Pea Salad
• Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Green Beans and Carrots
• Pear and Rocket Salad
• Minted Mushy Peas
• Courgette Salad
• Whole Baked Cauliflower Cheese
• Watercress Sauce
• Cavolo Nero Kale
• Honey Glazed Carrots
• Crispy Smashed New Potatoes

🥙Substitutions

• White fish - use 2 fillets of cod, haddock, pollack or hake but make individual parcels instead.
• Bacon - use pancetta or serrano ham for a slightly different flavour.

📖Variations

• Herbs - as well as the lemon add 2 tablespoons of chopped tarragon, basil, parsley or dill.
• Stuffing - rather than sliced lemon try some lightly fried sliced mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes or some baby spinach leaves.

🍣Storage

• Refrigerator - if you have any baked monkfish tails leftover then cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
• Freezer - pack in airtight wrapping or containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
• Reheat - wrap in foil and place in the oven at 180 C / 350 F / 160 FAN / Gas 4 until hot.

🤔FAQs

More fish recipes

• Pan Seared Sea Bass
• Potted Shrimps
• Salmon Baked in Foil
• Scallops and Black Pudding
• Prawn Korma
• Crab Salad
• Fish Mornay
• Cod Cheeks in Panko

📋 Recipe

Food Safety

• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
• Wash hands after touching raw meat.
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
• Never leave cooking food unattended'
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
• Always have good ventilation when using gas.

Do you have a question or did you make the recipe?

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