Monkfish Quotes

“Um, i-it's Monkfish-Dobujiru Curry."
DOBUJIRO
A hot stew with monkfish as the main ingredient...
it's a recipe that has its roots in the fishing towns of Japan's northern prefectures of Ibaraki and Fukushima.
Curry and monkfish? What a strange pairing.
What on earth is she thinking?
AAAH...
"Now I see! This is why she used monkfish!
The most unique part of Dobujiru is how it is made by first simmering a monkfish liver- the foie gras of the sea- until it dissolves. Miso paste and sake are then added to stretch the liver and form the base of the broth.
But she added curry spices to that...
... to make a "Monkfish-Liver-Curry Miso" base!"
"Who would've dreamed that the deep, sticky richness of the liver would meld so well with curry spices! Mmm! I can feel the warmth seeping through my whole body!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 7 [Shokugeki no Souma 7]

“What a wallop of rich, full-bodied flavor! Tangy spiciness is flooding in my mouth! This ain't no sweet tea cake!
Ankimo?!
It's filled with ankimo monkfish liver!"
"Yep! You've got it in one. This here is a special little dish I made...
I dub it THE ANKIMONAKA GUTS SANDWICH!"
"Wait a minute. There were no rice wafer shells or batter in the ingredient trucks! How could you make a monaka sandwich?!"
"Easy enough to make your own with a little cornstarch and shiratama rice flour. Squeeze some batter between two muffin molds- like these- bake them, and voilà! You have your own instant rice wafers. It's a pretty delicate operation, though, so you've gotta be patient and careful.
As for the filling, I started out by trimming and deveining some monkfish liver, then I salted it to remove its fishiness.
Next, I whipped up a broth of bonito stock seasoned with soy sauce, sake and sugar and then simmered the liver.
I pressed it through a strainer until it was a nice, smooth paste and mixed in my handmade Shichimi red pepper blend.
After that, all that was left was to stuff the rice wafer shells with it and serve!"
Light, crispy wafers and thick, sticky monkfish-liver paste! Those two and the mountain yam he mixed in with them make for marvelously contrasting textures! And their flavors! The sharp spiciness spreads its addicting tingle through my entire mouth!
He struck the perfect balance between the savory umami of the bonito stock and the salty soy sauce too...
Which makes the tangy spiciness of his red pepper blend stand out all the more!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 33 [Shokugeki no Souma 33]

“The wrinkly texture of the yuba is interesting. Does it add much to the flavor though?"
I took my first bite. "Hm. Yes, I think so. It's very thin and crackled, almost like chicken skin. And, look, it's bonded to the fish somehow. But what I really like is this gingerbread puree and cranberry bean soil. It's so unique. The gingerbread spices sort of unlock the monkfish's meatiness and muscle. Then the bean soil scratches your tongue and sort of forces the flavors into deeper levels of taste. And I love how you can't place it. It's not ethnic, it's not market-driven, it's its own thing.”
― Jessica Tom, Food Whore

“Now that you have the menu, tell me what this is."
"Tuna, vanilla brioche crumbs, and a bruléed disk of monkfish liver."
"Ah, monkfish liver! Foie gras of the sea!" Michael Saltz said, lifting his cup in a toast. I refused to join him and just tipped the bite backlit a shot, letting the mouthful take shape all at once.
Michael Saltz squinted at me while I set the cup down. If he disregarded me, then I'd disregard him.
Next, Hugo brought out a single octopus tentacle, roasted to bring out the burgundy speckles in its skin, painted with sweet, sea-infused balsamic squid ink and framed by two quarters of a ruddy pear.
We stayed silent as I ate.
Skate came wading in a chorizo broth, a cap of seaweed poking through the surface like an island paradise.”
― Jessica Tom, Food Whore

“Y'know...
after that other dish a minute ago, this one tastes especially... I dunno... homey. It's a dish with a real human feel to it."
"I see monkfish meat, skin, fins and-
HM?!
Kogiku squash... Tachikawa burdock... and Akasuji daikon!"
"Y-yes, sir! All of those are veggies you can find in my hometown.
I wanted to show in my dish how good the veggies in my hometown are, so I tried a lot of different combinations... but curry spices are really powerful, and they didn't go well with a lot of the veggies' natural sweetness or bitterness.
I was stumped for a good long time, until I had the sudden thought that I could do a dobujiru for my dish. The monkfish liver in dobujiru could be a kind of bridge, allowing me to make the best of the curry spices while at the same time retaining all the natural tastiness of the veggies
And besides, I, um... I've handled monkfish since I was little anyway."
"Really?"
"I wanted to make a curry that reflected all the best of my hometown...
right down to the taste and smells!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 7 [Shokugeki no Souma 7]