Skate are fish that are members of the ray family. Their fins are large and look like wings, which is why you often see it labelled “skate wing” at the fish counter. Usually sold skinned and filleted, it is a mild-tasting fish that is delicious when dredged in flour and pan-fried in oil or butter. In this recipe from Jacque Pépin, you pan fry the fish in oil, fry some mushrooms in the drippings while the fish rests and then top everything with brown butter, lemon juice and parsley.
Avoiding Additives and Preservatives
Use butter that contains only cream, without colour. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice, as the concentrates contain sodium benzoate. For more recipes using all-natural ingredients, visit Eye For a Recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 large skinned and boned skate wing (about 2 pounds/900 g)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- About 1/3 cup (85 ml) all-purpose flour, for dredging
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) corn oil
- 2 cups (500 ml) sliced mushrooms (about 4 ounces/113 g)
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) chopped fresh parsley
Preparation:
Cut the skate wing into 4 slabs. Sprinkle the pieces of skate with ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) salt and 1/8 teaspoon (0.5 ml) pepper and dredge with the flour, shaking off any excess.
Heat the butter and oil in a large heavy skillet until hot. Add the skate, and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes on the first side. Turn and cook for 5 minutes longer on the other side, or just until the skate is cooked through; the meat should still be slightly moist and pink in the center. Arrange the skate on a serving platter.
Add the sliced mushrooms to the drippings in the pan and cook for just 1 minute; they should still be firm. Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper, then scatter the mushrooms on top of the skate.
Heat the butter in a small skillet until it is foamy and brown. Sprinkle the lemon juice on the skate, pour the hot butter on top, garnish with the parsley, and serve. Serves 4.
From Jacques Pépin
