Atlantica - 01.09.2004, Qupperneq 46

“It looks bad when it’s whole, but it’s a great fish,” says Gissur
Gudmundsson, president of the Icelandic Chefs Association.
Through Gudmundsson’s efforts, the most prestigious cooking com-
petition in the world, the Bocuse D’Or, has decided to feature Icelandic
monkfish in its next competition in Lyon, France, January 2005.
The monkfish is a specialty product fished only in the Nordic coun-
tries. Gudmundsson admitted that the fish “is not easy to prepare, but
if you have practice it’s extremely worthwhile.”
It is this practice that will put Iceland on the culinary map. There are
25 teams of top chefs competing in the Bocuse D’Or.
“25 teams with five chefs per team, and they all make at least 25
practices. How many times do you think they’ll say Iceland?”
Gudmundsson asked me excitedly.
“At least 3,125 times,” he said, when I didn’t answer quickly enough.
Ironically, Gudmundsson and Ármann Olafsson, Assistant to the
Minister of Fisheries, were trying to get Icelandic cod into the competi-
tion. Icelandic cod has enjoyed fame and been the staple of fishing, and
the economy, for hundreds of years. Twenty years ago, monkfish was
thrown back or taken home by fishermen. In fact, even as restaurants
began purchasing the fish, the Marine Research Institute of Iceland
reports that until 1999 monkfish was mainly by-catch.
World fame may change the little fish’s role in the Icelandic economy,
but it is not the only factor. The Ministry of Fisheries stated that rising
ocean temperatures have expanded the catches of the ugly fish. In
2004, the quota has been raised to 2000 tons, less than one hundredth
of the cod intake, but an increase all the same. BC
W H E R E T O G E T M O N K F I S H In January, Icelandair will be serving monkfish in business class to celebrate
the fish’s time in the international spotlight. If you want to try it outside the plane, here are Atlantica’s top picks.
Tveir Fiskar: Roasted monkfish with wild mushrooms and port wine balsamic glaze. ISK 3,350.
Vegamót: Sesame fried monkfish in coconut crumbs with Thai ginger-lime sauce and hot wild rice salad. ISK 1590.
Vid Tjornina: Depends on daily catch. Prepared with a sauce made from langoustine and saffron. ISK 3,150.
UGLY FISH
PREPARES
FOR THE SPOTLIGHT
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