Despite their frightening faces, monkfish happen to taste delicious, and these more affordable fish are sometimes called poor man's lobster since they have firm, sweet meat that isn't very fishy. In the U.S., you can buy monkfish at most well-stocked fish markets, but ambitious cooks who prefer to buy whole fish might be out of luck.

Occasionally, an American fish market will put a whole monkfish on display, but this is usually to attract attention, and the whole fish is rarely for sale. Most markets sell the tail filets, which is everything but the head, since the only edible part of the monkfish's head are the cheeks and the heads aren't prioritized by American fisheries.

Monkfish also have seven layers of skin, and even cooks who enjoy cutting up their own whole fish might shy away from that much work. No matter how it's sold, monkfish is an excellent sustainable choice for all seafood lovers, and its firm flesh is suited for various cooking methods, including grilling, roasting, and more.