Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Skate wing -- an unusual fish worth seeking out


Skate (or skate wing) frequently turns up on French bistro menus--I used to love the version served at Brasserie le Coze in Atlanta--but you won't find it in your local supermarket's seafood department. If you shop at a fish vendor who also supplies our best restaurants, however, you can get lucky. When a local chef puts it on his/her menu, the supplier may very well have extra to sell to the public.

Lately, Luken's Seafood at Findlay Market has been bringing in skate for Jean-Ro Bistro and I was able to score some for a recent dinner at home. It's not expensive--maybe $7 or $8 a pound, and absolutely no waste because it's boneless and skinless. Skate is delicate and thin, so you can cook it in just a few minutes.

Skate Almondine -- serves 2

1 pound skate wing

Salt and pepper

2 T olive or canola oil

2-3 T sliced almonds

2-3 T capers (optional)

1-2 T fresh lemon juice

Add salt and pepper to each side of the fish. Heat the oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat and add the skate. Cook 3 minutes and carefully turn the fish with a spatula; cook another 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to low, sprinkle with remaining ingredients.

Remove fish to serving plates and voila!

My side dish was steamed Brussels sprouts tossed with a great convenience product--one of Trader Joe's tapenades. (This one is the artichoke and red pepper.)

2 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for posting this recipe. It really was everything the title said
    I think its nice recipe & yummy .I really liked it

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  2. Great! Did you actually find some skate? Of course, you can make this using almost any light, flaky fish. Flounder, for instance, or even tilapia. (But I've stopped buying tilapia because it's farmed as part of the industrial food supply...see "Food, Inc." the movie, for details!)

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