Re: Bronzed/blackened skate
I find that skate takes on whatever spices you use. I have ordered them at a few fancy restaurants, and my favorite is "francese". here is a recipe I modified from a chicken recipe I've used....tastes really elegant.
The trick is to get a skate large enough and a mate skilled enough to skin and remove the cartilage. There are some "how to's" on youtube, but the mate who has prepared my was like a surgeon and I haven't found any thing like what he did on the web.
Also since the skate's system works like a shark, the flesh will turn to a urea smell, so ice the skates as soon as possible, or fillet and ice asap is better.
Skate Francese
Ingredients
• 4 skinless skate wings cartilage removed
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, with rind, cut in thin rounds
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Directions
Put some flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. In a wide bowl, beat the eggs with 3 tablespoons of water to make an egg wash. Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet.
Dredge both sides of the skate wings in the seasoned flour, and then dip them in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off. When the oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and fry for 2 minutes on each side until golden, turning once. Remove the wings to a large platter in a single layer to keep warm.
Toss the lemon slices into the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the wine, broth, and lemon juice, simmer for 5 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly. Roll the butter in some flour and add it to the skillet, this will thicken the sauce. Stir to incorporate and dissolve the flour. Reduce the heat to medium-low and return the skate wings to the pan; place the lemon slices on top of the wings. Simmer gently for 2 minutes to heat the wings through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.
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