Monkfish Rolls Recipe

A plate of monkfish rolls, ready to eat.

Your budget-friendly alternative to lobster rolls!

Monkfish are a bottom-dwelling fish species that are locally-caught and available year-round. They may not be the most appealing looking fish in the wild, but the meat from their tails is considered excellent for cooking. The resulting texture and taste are comparable to lobster.

Learn from Lecturer of Culinary Nutrition at UNH, Leah Smutko, how to make a simple and delicious monkfish roll! 

Time

Prep time: 5 mins, 10 mins with cleaning the tail 

Cook time: 16 minutes 

Overall: 30 minutes 

Cost

~$20.00

Serving size

6 mini rolls or 4 standard rolls 

Your favorite chips and drink!

Cookware and Tools

Cutting board 

Knife 

2 Pans (1 with lid)

Rubber spatula 

Strainer 

1 bowl 

Measuring cups (tbsp) 

Ingredients

A layout of all the monkfish ingredients on a cutting board and table.

Find Local Monkfish

1 lb monkfish 

3 tbsp butter, plus some extra for buttering the rolls 

Salt for seasoning fish 

1 stalk of celery, cut into small dice, size is your preference 

Juice and zest of 1 lemon 

1 tbsp chives, chopped 

1 tbsp herbs of choice – dill, garlic chives, parsley, sorrel, tarragon 

4 tbsp mayo 

Black pepper to taste 

Split-top rolls 

Step-by-step cooking instructions

  1. Remove the membrane from the fish and pat dry. Cut into portions that can fit into your skillet and season with salt. (When seasoning, start high and let the salt granules fall evenly over the fish. You’ll use 1-2 large pinches of salt, depending on the size of your pinch) 

  1. In a skillet over low heat, melt the butter.  

  1. Add your fish. You should hear a very slight sizzle, but this should not be frying. We are essentially poaching the fish in butter. Cover and let cook about 8 minutes on each side. You want the internal temperature to read 135° and feel firm, yet bouncy to the touch 

  1. Cut the fish into bite size pieces and set aside to cool 

  1. Mix your celery, lemon juice, chives, herbs, and mayo in a bowl. Make sure it is large enough to fit all the fish 

  1. When your fish is cool to the touch, fold it into the mayo mixture and finish with a few cracks of black pepper. 

  1. Taste for seasoning. This is best after being left for 20 minutes to let the flavors meld. Depending on the remaining water content of your fish, you can opt to place this mixture over a fine mesh strainer to keep from getting soggy. 

  1. Optional to butter your rolls (can use leftover melted butter from poaching), and lightly toast them in a skillet.  

  1. Fill your rolls with your monkfish and serve 

Sustainability and Education

Monkfish is considered a sustainable source of seafood, caught locally here in New England. Click the links below to learn more: 

Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested

Production Team

Brian Yurasits
Science Communication Specialist, NH Sea Grant

Kylie Marozsan
Seafood Science Communication Doyle Fellow, NH Sea Grant

Leah Smutko
Lecturer of Culinary Nutrition, University of New Hampshire

Mark Martin and Michael Coonfield
Students, University of New Hampshire