When you purchase monkfish buy it whole, including the head, so as to guarantee its freshness. The smell should be gentle and pleasant. It should be firm to the touch, its appearance shiny rather than dull, and the flesh should be of a pinkish colour. Like all fish, it should be eaten or frozen immediately after purchase.

The monkfish is much prized and therefore is typically quite expensive. Among the species of monkfish one can most commonly find at market are Lophius piscatorius and Lophius budegassa. It is a fish available throughout the year but with a decrease in numbers during summer.