The Underrated Fish You Should Be Eating More Of, According To A Fishmonger
As the price of seafood continues to rise with no signs of slowing down, it may be time to start looking at underrated options to save money from lower demand. To help us understand what fish we should be looking at, we reached out to Joe Gurrera, owner of Citarella. For those of you who aren't familiar, Citarella is a premium quality seafood market with locations in seven major cities around the U.S. that also delivers nationwide.
"Varieties like skate and monkfish are very underrated," Gurrera told Tasting Table. "Monkfish has a really sweet and dense flesh, it's comparable to lobster." Skate, sometimes called skate wing, are the wings of a type of ray. They're starting to garner attention from restaurants due to their mild, succulent flavor and flaky texture. Monkfish, known as the poor man's lobster, may look a little intimidating, as they are anglerfish with big, toothy mouths, but it is a great way to get premium flavor without breaking the bank.
Those weren't the only recommendations Gurrera had for us. "Porgy too, it's one of my favorites to eat. It's delicate, and almost sweet — just like the popular red snapper." Porgy, sometimes referred to as scup, is an underappreciated gem of the eastern seaboard. Simply based on looks, it isn't clear why porgy is left alone since it's a relatively unassuming creature. But thanks to its small size, porgy is normally prepared whole which means bone-in. Some Westerners don't like that and will pay extra for no bones.
Using the underdogs
Now that we've got some new fish on our radar, what should we do with them? Skate are really easy to cook with once they've been deboned. Tasting a bit like scallops, they're great lightly dredged in flour and pan-seared with some oil or butter. They're also excellent with toasted almonds or hazelnuts but don't need much seasoning to be delicious on their own.
Monkfish can be substituted for any lobster dish you love but, with the price of lobster being so high, haven't wanted to dole out the cash to try. It's also great in curries, paired with a flavorful tomato sauce, or simply browned in some butter with lemon juice on top. We have a great Parma Ham-Wrapped Monkfish recipe that's definitely worth a look.
Porgy is normally only prepared one way: whole. It's great for a sunny day by the grill or you can bake it in the oven on a cold winter's eve. It goes great with a little bit of seasoning, a dash of lemon juice, and maybe a side of rice or veggies. Just make sure the fish has been cleaned before you cook it. Or, porgy can also be used to make ceviche if you're looking for something fresh.