Group · Fish
Monkfish (cooked)
Monkfish (lotte or baudroie in French) is a spectacular-looking bottom-dwelling fish of which only the tail is eaten. Its white, very firm flesh, with no bones apart from a central spine, earns it the nickname « leg of lamb of the sea »: it can be roasted, pan-fried and holds its shape under the knife like meat.
In terms of nutrition facts, grilled, it provides 98.2 kcal per 100 g with 23 g of protein and only 0.68 g of fat. It provides 368 mg of phosphorus, 472 mg of potassium and 42.5 µg of selenium per 100 g, one of the best phosphorus scores in the Fish family.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 98 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 417 kJ |
| Protein | 23 g |
| Fat | 0,7 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Selenium42,5 µg77 %
- DHA0,14 g56 %
- Phosphorus368 mg53 %
- Vitamin B120,93 µg37 %
- Copper0,3 mg30 %
- Iodine40,6 µg27 %
- Potassium472 mg24 %
- Vitamin B33,09 mg19 %
See the other 15 nutrients
- EPA0,04 g16 %
- Vitamin B60,21 mg15 %
- Vitamin B920,5 µg10 %
- Magnesium28,5 mg8 %
- Total omega-30,18 g7 %
- Zinc0,64 mg6 %
- Vitamin A50 µg6 %
- Vitamin B20,08 mg6 %
- Iron0,46 mg3 %
- Vitamin B10,04 mg3 %
- Vitamin B50,19 mg3 %
- Calcium11 mg1 %
- Vitamin C0,5 mg1 %
- Omega-6 LA0,01 g0 %
- Omega-3 ALA0 g0 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
Its firmness is its asset, and a trap. Because it does not fall apart, you think it is cooked when it is already overdone. Past the point of doneness, it turns rubbery and nothing can rescue it. Fifteen minutes in the oven at 180°C for a 400 g tail, no more.
It releases a lot of water. Sear it dry or with very little oil in a very hot pan, in small batches. Too many pieces at once, and it boils in its own juices instead of browning.
It replaces meat in slow-cooked dishes. Monkfish blanquette, curry, skewers: its firmness allows preparations that are off limits to fragile fish such as hake. At 0.68 g of fat, it is a better choice than white meat in these recipes.
Remove the grey skin thoroughly. It shrinks during cooking and distorts the pieces, as well as being bitter. The fishmonger does this; on a tail bought whole, a thin membrane often remains to be removed by hand.
It is expensive, and so is the waste. Allow for preparation loss: a tail with its central bone yields about three quarters flesh. Plan on 180 to 200 g raw per person for a proper portion.
Sources
Average nutritional values per 100 g, provided for guidance only (may vary by brand, cut and preparation).