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At what internal temperature should you aim for monkfish to be properly cooked? According to this recipe, it should be at 145F (63ºC). Does anybody know a temperature chart for fish in general?

FYI I just found this and this reference.

BaffledCook
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To be perfectly honest with you, in all my years of cooking in kitchens I never took the temp of the fish. It was always by feel and look. Yes, I know that the gov't has guidelines that say 145F for fish but really when it comes down to it, if you have an 8oz cut of salmon/cod/monk in the pan, sticking an instant read into the middle won't do you much good. (Caveat: If it was a salmon Wellington I would shoot for 130F as it's a fully enclosed package that you can't feel for doneness)

The thickness of the cut will make a huge difference in when you should pull it out as you get post-oven cooking during resting in which the heat continues to heat the core of the flesh up to a final cooked temperature. That's why most chefs will take the roast out at a rare measured temp when they are shooting for a med rare serving state.

If your question is what state should monk fish be served, IE med rare (like salmon) or rare ( like tuna) then I would say med-rare is your best bet. Over cooking is a bad thing for monk fish and it goes from a lovely moist state to dry nastiness really quick. A nice way to cook it that helps to give you a little move wiggle room when cooking it is to wrap it in Parma ham (prosciutto). The little extra wrapping tastes great but also gives you a little bit of buffer as you get close to that magical temperature of doneness.

Hope it helps.

Chef Flambe
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  • One important point with regard to the poaching temperature:
    You don't want the temperature of the poaching liquid to be over the desired temperature of the fish.     –  Jan 15 '15 at 02:44