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Japanese · Ibaraki Prefecture

Japanese Monkfish and Anko Nabe: Winter Hotpot and the Kanto Delicacy

Anko (monkfish, Lophiomus setigerus)—not to be confused with anko (red bean paste)—is celebrated in Japanese winter cuisine for one specific quality: its liver (ankimo), which has been called 'foie gras of the sea' and commands prices that reflect this positioning. Ankimo is monkfish liver steamed gently in sake until firm, pressed into a cylinder, and served sliced with momiji oroshi (spicy grated daikon) and ponzu—the preparation that has brought global attention to the ingredient. Beyond the liver, anko nabe (monkfish hot pot) is the most celebrated preparation: the gelatinous skin and chewy flesh of monkfish are simmered together in a dashi-miso-sake broth, producing a collagen-rich, intensely savory hot pot. The monkfish's extraordinary ugliness (it has no commercial appeal as a display ingredient) combined with its culinary excellence is a well-recognized irony in Japanese fish culture—the anglerfish's lure hangs over a face that seems designed for Halloween, yet every part except the gall bladder is culinarily usable. The Ōarai anko festival (January) celebrates the preparation of whole monkfish hung from a hook and butchered whole—a technique called tsurushi-giri that allows precise sectioning of the very gelatinous fish without a cutting board. For professionals, sourcing fresh ankimo is the access point to one of Japanese cuisine's most genuinely extraordinary ingredients.

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ServesFour portions
Sourced2of 10 in BC
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I

The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

For the ankimo
400 g
fresh monkfish liver (ankimo)
Ibaraki/Ōarai source preferred; season January–March; verify freshness before purchase
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
500 ml
lightly salted cold water
for soaking to remove blood — 2 hours minimum
Your own market
100 ml
sake
for steaming
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
150 g
daikon
finely grated for momiji oroshi
Origin · JapanT Amano Trading · Vancouver →
1 tsp
dried chili flakes or togarashi
worked into grated daikon to make momiji oroshi
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
60 ml
ponzu
to serve alongside
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the anko nabe broth
1.2 litres
dashi
prepared to standard strength
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
80 g
white or mixed miso
dissolved into dashi; season lightly — collagen from the fish provides significant natural body and umami
Purely Artisan Foods · San Diego →
80 ml
sake
added to broth
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the anko nabe
600 g
monkfish flesh and gelatinous skin
cut into serving portions; skin retained
Not yet stocked in British Columbia

Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.

II

The Method

1
Submerge the monkfish liver in lightly salted cold water and soak for 2 hours, changing the water once at the midpoint. The water drawn off should run pale and nearly clear; any iron-red colour signals that soaking must continue. Drain and pat dry.
2
Lay the liver flat on a sheet of plastic wrap. Pour the sake over it, then roll the liver tightly in the wrap to form a firm cylinder, twisting the ends to compress the shape. This is where the dish lives or dies: the wrapping must be tight enough to eliminate air pockets and consolidate the liver into a uniform log — any looseness will prevent clean slicing and produce a collapsed, grainy result once chilled.
3
Set the wrapped cylinder in a steamer over simmering — not boiling — water. Steam at moderate heat for 25–30 minutes. The liver is done when it yields a slight, even resistance to a gentle finger press through the wrap; a soft, yielding centre means it needs more time, while a hard, rigid feel signals oversteaming and a dry, grainy texture.
4
Remove the cylinder from the steamer and allow it to cool briefly, then refrigerate, still wrapped, for a minimum of 2 hours until completely cold and firm. The cylinder should feel set and unyielding throughout when pressed. Do not slice warm — the interior will be too soft to hold its form.
5
Prepare the momiji oroshi: work the chili flakes thoroughly into the finely grated daikon until the mixture is evenly coloured and carries a clean, sharp heat on tasting. Set aside with the ponzu.
6
Bring the dashi to a gentle simmer in the nabe pot or a wide shallow casserole. Dissolve the miso into the dashi in stages, tasting as you go — the broth should be savoury but not salt-forward, since the monkfish's collagen will enrich it further during cooking. Add the sake.
7
Add the monkfish flesh and skin to the simmering miso-dashi-sake broth. Simmer until the flesh is just cooked through and the skin has softened to a gelatinous, silken texture — the broth will visibly thicken and take on a glossy body from the collagen released by the skin. Do not over-season at this stage.
8
Unwrap the chilled ankimo cylinder and slice into rounds approximately 1 cm thick with a sharp, single-stroke knife motion. The cut face should be smooth and uniform, the colour even throughout. Serve the sliced ankimo alongside or lightly atop the nabe, accompanied by momiji oroshi and ponzu at the table.
From the canon — Ankimo (monkfish liver, from 'anko' — monkfish and 'kimo' — liver) is often called the 'foie gras of the sea' in Japanese culinary discourse — a comparison t… Ankimo — Monkfish Liver Preparation →
III

Quality Hierarchy

01
Reserve — Fresh ankimo sourced directly from Ibaraki Prefecture coastal suppliers (Ōarai area) in peak season, January–March; whole fish sectioned by tsurushi-giri; dashi drawn from first-press katsuobushi and true kombu.
02
Estate — Fresh monkfish liver from a verified Japanese or domestic specialty fishmonger, purchased to order within 24 hours; high-quality hon-dashi base; artisan ponzu.
03
Market — Frozen-thawed monkfish liver with verified cold-chain provenance and no off-odour; commercial dashi stock; standard supermarket ponzu.
04
House — Frozen monkfish liver of uncertain provenance — acceptable only if soaking is extended and the product passes a rigorous smell test before proceeding; instant dashi granules; bottled ponzu.
IV

Sensory Tests

◇Sight. Blood-soaking water runs pale and nearly clear before the liver is considered clean.
◇Touch. The pressed cylinder feels firm and unyielding throughout after full refrigerator chilling — no soft zones.
◇Touch. The steaming liver yields only a slight, even resistance through the wrap at 25–30 minutes — neither soft nor rigid.
◇Sight. The nabe broth turns visibly glossy and thickened as the monkfish skin releases its collagen during simmering.
◇Sight. Sliced ankimo faces are smooth, even in colour, and hold their disc shape cleanly without collapsing.
◇Where it lives or dies. The wrapping and pressing of the steamed liver into a tight, airless cylinder determines whether the ankimo slices cleanly and holds its form, or collapses into an unservable mass.
Pillar V
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The dishes this one teaches you, across the cuisines — on every recipe.
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VI

What to Pour

The pairing
Born Dream Junmai Daiginjo
Katokichibee Shouten · Fukui
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Sake
From British Columbia

Nothing from British Columbia holds against this yet.

Without alcohol

No pour without alcohol holds against this yet.

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The whole pairing
Pillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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Sourced through Provenance

The hands behind the plate.

T Amano Trading
Vancouver · daikon
→
Purely Artisan Foods
San Diego · white or mixed miso
→
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