I am so happy that my short ribs sold out last night! What a great reception that dish had, I couldn't believe they were gone by 7:30. For those who may have been afraid to try the skate wing, if you will allow me to attempt a brief description for I fear the dish may have scared off some fish lovers. The skate is a cartilaginous fish of the ray family, like sting ray or manta ray, meaning it has cartilage instead of bones. The meat is taken from the "wing" of the fish where most of it's muscle is located. While not what we humans consider an attractive creature it is non poisonous and has become quite a treasure. The skate requires careful handling as it begins to develop an ammonia like aroma only a couple days out of the water. To thwart this, skate should be bought fresh, cleaned immediately and then soaked in buttermilk. The milk should be changed daily and the fish should not be kept more than 3 or 4 days. The reward for this patient treatment is delicate, full flavored flesh that saute's beautifully. Many chefs pair skate with something acidic to counter it's oceanic bouquet. I only keep my fish for 2 days and rarely buy more than I need so I chose to balance the fish with earthy vegetables and garlic. Here is my recipe for Skate with Root Vegetables and Mushroom-Garlic Sauce, for 2
1 whole skate(when buying skate you can ask for it in weight also. The fish has 2 wings with a fillet on both sides. Approximately 10 ounces will be adequate)
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup flour
1 tbs. canola oil or pomace oil
4 oz. parsnips(peeled and chopped)
4 oz. rutabaga(peeled and chopped)
2 oz. butter
2-3 oz. heavy cream
salt and fresh black pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
pinch or crushed chili flakes
pinch of chopped thyme
1 tbs. butter
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms(I like portobellas but any mushroom will work!)
8 or 10 baby carrots or carrot stick from any carrot 1/4 inch cut and 2-3 inches long
It is a good idea to give your skate a buttermilk bath even when it is fresh from the butcher. Let it soak for an hour if you can.
First thing is to deal with the root vegetables to make a mash. After peeling and chopping the parsnip and rutabaga pop them into boiling salted water until easily pierced with a knife. Strain when ready and then lay the veggies onto a lightly oiled (olive oil is good) sheet pan. Pop them in a 400 oven for 15 or 20 minutes to dry them out, this will make your finished product less watery and more rich. I like to use a food processor to do my mashing. Add the butter first then pile the vegetables on top pulse a few times then add the cream and let it go for 4 or 5 minutes. Season to taste and set this aside. This is a good time to get the carrots going. Your oven should still be on so use the same sheet pan you used to dry the parsnips and rutabaga. Lay the carrots out evenly and drizzle with olive oil and salt & pepper. Toss them in the oven and don't give it another thought until you are ready for them.
Take your fish fillets out and gently rinse them with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and season with salt and fresh black pepper. Heat a saute pan over medium high until a drop of water dances about before evaporating. Dredge the fillets in flour on both sides and shake off the excess. Add oil to pan and swirl it around a bit. Place the fillets in the pan one at a time away from yourself to avoid getting splashed with oil. Now this is important...DO NOT MOVE THE FISH! Let the skate sit and sizzle while you split your root vegetable mash onto 2 plates. Now carefully flip the fillets over with a spatula and let them sit for another minute. If at any time while sauteing you experience sticking this means the food is not ready to be moved. Scoop the fish out of the pan and onto the mash. Put the pan back on the fire and crank it to high, add the butter and mushrooms. Cook these for about thirty seconds and add the garlic, herbs and chili flakes. When the butter appears to be getting brown and possibly burning add the chicken broth with the flame on the stove off. If the sauce seems too watery put it back on the fire and reduce until it has some viscosity, but it won't need much reducing. Check for seasoning and then pour the sauce over the fish. Garnish with the carrots.
That is all there is to it. Sounds easy but it's all about timing. Have everything you need done ahead of time so there won't be any stopping and looking around for things. Give it a try and remember I'm here if you need me!
~Steamed Mussels with Garlic, White Wine & Cream
~8 oz. Duck Burger with Bacon, Goat Cheese, Shaved Fennel & Cranberry-Orange Marmalade
~Sauteed Skate Wing & Root Vegetables with Mushroom-Garlic Sauce
~Pan Seared Pork Cutlet over Sweet Potato Hash with Maple-Chili Sauce
Come in and join the Northwestern game crowd and get some great food and drinks!
Chef Michael
