Zante or Baltic vimba. A fish. Could you send details (and a picture) to queries@whatamieating.com if you know more?
Char(r) usually refers to the Arctic char, an uncommon freshwater fish of the same family as salmon, trout and related to grayling and the vendace or powan. It is found in rivers and lakes of northern Europe, north western United States and Canada and in the Great Lakes. They are migratory fish, like salmon and trout. They have a steely blue-grey back with salmon-pink speckles on the sides and a red underbelly. They have sweet firm flesh which varies from white to pink, dependent upon its own diet, and with good flavour, some say better than trout, being something like a cross between trout and salmon.
Monkfish (US: angler fish). A fish with a sweet flavour and succulent firm flesh but with the ugliest appearance imaginable. It is found in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, in coastal waters of north western Europe. It can be recognised by its large head and fan-shaped fins. The fins and the operculum are spiny. It can be eaten fried or in soup. The larger fish often have better flavour. It has a hideous head, which is why it is usually displayed without it, and a muddy colour. It is known as the anglerfish as it bears on its head a 'rod' and 'lure' which attract its prey. The meat of the tail is sweet and succulent - almost like lobster meat, entirely compensating for is appearance. The flavour may well be assisted by its own diet which is high in shellfish. The best monkfish are Lophius piscatorius and the similar Lophius budegassa, the favourite of the Spanish. American monkfish or goosefish (Lophius americanus) is considered inferior, while New Zealand monkfish (Kathetostoma giganteum) is related to the stargazer and is only fit for soup.
"Wolf of the sea." Wolf-fish. Marine catfish. A fish of northern waters. It is medium oily and white-fleshed. Since it eats shellfish, its own flavour is good. Its jaws are strong and it has a blunt head which lend to its unattractive appearance, which is why it is normally sold filleted or in cutlets. It has few small bones and can be prepared in the same way as monkfish (US: angler fish), in stews or grilled. It is sometimes sold as rock salmon or rock turbot.
