Steamed Ankimo (Monkfish liver)
To prepare:
- Peel skin from the monkfish liver, remove any blood vessels.
- Soak in cold salt water 2-3 hours, changing water every 30 minutes.
- Pat dry, marinate in Sake max 10 minutes. (too much here will make the taste too mellow).
- Wrap tightly in cheesecloth.
- Place in steamer with large pieces of sliced ginger and bundled scallions.
- Steam using water 45 minutes. Remove and let sit to cool. Remove cheesecloth when cooled.
With the above method, there is practically no weird smell when steaming. Ankimo actually is fully steamed in 20-30 minutes and any additional steaming won’t get rid of the smell. That is mostly reduced by removing the blood with salt water before steaming.
Ankimo is often sliced into discs about 1/3 of an inch and served plain, or sometimes with ponzu sauce (I suggest on the side so folks can choose whether to put it on or not, as too much can overpower the delicate flavor of the monkfish liver). One great way to present it is on a bed of shredded daikon (Japanese radish) and/or a big shiso leaf for color. Ankimo should be served cool, but slightly above fridge temperature, so take it out for a few minutes before serving.