Curried Butter Skate with Fennel and Onion Salad
Skate was one of the things my grandad would cook for me when I was little. It’s a real treat and always feels nostalgic when I eat it.
I’ve cooked this skate with spices and served it up with a fresh salad. A lot of people steer clear from cooking fish like skate at home because they think it’s too tricky, but it’s really just about knowing how, and of course practice. The meatiness of the fish means it’s very forgiving until other fish such as salmon.
Ingredients
1 skate wing
2 tbsp plain flour
50ml olive oil
75g salted butter
1 tsp mild curry powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 lime
1/2 white onion
1/2 small fennel
small handful of fresh coriander
salt
Method
First season the skate with salt. Next coat the flour in the flour until well coated. Tap away any excess.
Place a large non stick pan on a medium heat. Add the olive oil and once hot add the skate. Cook for 4-5 minutes until golden and crisp, then carefully turn the skate over and cook the other side for a further 4-5 minutes.
Add the butter, curry powder and garam masala. Baste the fish with the butter for a few minutes. The butter should be foaming to cook out the spices with the fish.
Preheat the oven to 175°.
Remove the skate from the pan and place on an oven proof tray. Keep the butter in the pan for serving. Bake in the oven for 7 minutes or until cooked through.
Whilst the skate is in the oven, make the salad. Cut the top off of the fennel, then shave thinly using a vegetable peeler. This can be done with all of the fennel expect from the core. Peel and finely slice the onion. Place in a bowl and squeeze over the juice of a lime and a good pinch of salt. This will take some of the rawness out of the onion. Add the fennel to the bowl. Roughly chop half of the coriander and add. Mix well.
Once the skate is cooked through place on a plate. Warm through the butter and pour on top of the skate. Serve up the salad on the side of the fish and tuck in.