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Anyone who has ever taken a gander at a whole monkfish, freshly caught, is bound to come to the same conclusion: that it is one crazy-looking maniac of a sea creature. The monkfish has what is known as a “depressed” (i.e., flattened) head. Even more alarming, it has a humongous mouth that’s far, far out of proportion to the size of its whole self, which may account for its depression — have you ever met a big-mouthed person who wasn’t, underneath it all, deeply depressed? (In New England it’s also called a goosefish, anglerfish, allmouth, molligut and fishing frog. Fishermen themselves refer to the rascals as “net devils.”) Furthermore, the monkfish has a quality that makes it the envy of yogis the world over: a completely mobile spine, which allows it to angle itself so far in any direction that the spine can arch over the top of the fish’s mouth! The better to lure in prey. In addition to all of this, monkfish are bottom-feeders, which does not sound so appealing. Oh, and their means of mating and reproduction are not suitable for description in any over-the-counter magazine, anywhere.

But guess what? Yes, there’s a reason monkfish has long been known as “poor man’s lobster.” Its tail meat is sweet, fleshy and firm, similar in both taste and texture to lobster meat, and there are dozens of ways to use it in seafood recipes calling for lobster or scallops. It’s much easier to deal with than lobster, though, because when you buy it from the seafood market, the meat has already been stripped from its tail. The only edible portions of the monkfish, in fact, are its muscular tail and its liver. The latter is quite popular in Japan, where it’s a favorite kind of sashimi.

So when you get it from the fish market, the monkfish will look like a larger, thicker version of other fish fillets, only not as white or pink. The way it looks in fillet form, though infinitely more attractive than in its original state, is still not pretty enough to consider cooking in one piece. You wouldn’t want to plank it and bring it to the table whole, for instance, the way you do a salmon or a trout. This is why most recipes calling for monkfish require that you cut it into chunks. When it’s simmered in a colorful stew, it blends with the other ingredients there. In fact, combining it with lobster and scallops in a soup or stew is a handy way of stretching a dish calling for those ingredients.

Monkfish on the grill needs the same kind of help from its compatriots, and the way to offer it is by using skewers along with lots of bright vegetables and fruits. The Caribbean-influenced marinade for this dish is loaded with fresh, zesty flavors, but its color (kind of a raisiny brown) does nothing to enhance the color of the fish itself. Thus the fish chunks need to be embedded in a sea of yellow, green and red. Meanwhile, the accompanying salsa, whose sweet and spicy flavor livens up the mellow monkfish, springs to life in shades of yellow, orange, red, purple and more green. At the /files/storyimages/of the grilling time, the true lobster-like flavor of the monkfish is brought to the fore by the addition of a couple of tablespoons of sweet butter added to the marinade.

As for a wine to serve with these brochettes, keep in mind that Chablis is back! It’s no longer the swill you drank at high school parties, and much of it is affordable. The 2004 bottlings are standouts. Or a subtle, mineral-laden Sancerre will work equally well.

Grilled Monkfish With Papaya Salsa

 1? pounds monkfish, cut into 1?-inch chunks  
12 baby Yukon Gold potatoes, steamed until near tender and halved
1 lime, quartered
1 lemon, quartered
? pint cherry or grape tomatoes

Marinade:

1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1? teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon grated lime rind      
1? teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter, softened

Salsa:

1 ripe medium-size papaya (or ? jumbo), diced
4 or five slices of pineapple, diced
12 grape tomatoes, quartered
? medium red onion, chopped
? cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
The juice of two limes
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed         
1 fresh hot pepper of your choice, seeded and diced

For the marinade and skewers:

In a large glass bowl, whisk together the lime juice, oil, Worcestershire sauce, onion, garlic, cumin, lime rind, and pepper; set aside. Add the monkfish to the marinade, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate the dish for 30 minutes while the grill is heating up. Remove the monkfish from the marinade, reserving the marinade for brushing. On each of four greased metal (or soaked wood) skewers, thread one piece of fish followed by a lime quarter, then two potato halves, a tomato, a lemon quarter, etc. Use whatever configuration most pleases your eye.

In a small saucepan heat the two tablespoons of butter until just melted. Whisk in the reserved marinade. Grill the brochettes over medium-hot coals or on the medium-high setting of a gas grill, turning twice and basting occasionally with marinade, for 10 to 12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

For the salsa:

In a medium bowl, combine the pineapple, papaya, tomatoes, red onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice and pepper. Mix gently to avoid mashing the fruit. It will be best if made during the grilling time and served immediately, at room temperature, but you can cover and refrigerate it too, as it will keep for up to two days.

Serves four.