French cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Skate with Brown Butter

Delicately poached skate wing under nutty brown butter with capers, parsley and a squeeze of lemon.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 4 skate wings (about 250 g each)
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 100 ml white wine vinegar
• 120 g butter
• 3 tbsp capers
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 bunch parsley
• Salt

Instructions

1. Slice the carrot and cut the onion into rings, then bring to the boil with 2 litres water, the white wine vinegar, bay leaves, peppercorns and 2 tsp salt to make a court-bouillon; simmer uncovered for 10 min.
2. Add the skate wings and poach in the barely simmering liquid for 8–10 min until the flesh comes away easily from the cartilage ribs with the back of a knife.
3. Lift the fish out carefully, drain, and strip the thin grey skin from both sides with the back of a spoon; keep warm on warmed plates.
4. Melt the butter in a light-coloured pan over medium heat and continue cooking for 3–4 min until it foams, smells nutty and the milk solids turn hazelnut brown.
5. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the capers and the juice of half a lemon – the butter will foam up briefly – and fold in the roughly chopped parsley.
6. Spoon the brown butter over the skate wings immediately and serve with wedges of the remaining lemon.