Roast skate with crushed cherry tomato sauce
“Skate needs to be eaten soon after it is bought, for it quickly develops an unpleasant ammonia flavour.”
- 400g cherry tomatoes, vine-ripened
- Olive oil
- 4 x 300g skate wings, skinned
- Sea salt and pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried red chilli flakes
- 1 lemon, quartered, for serving
Dressing
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp salted capers, rinsed
- Sea salt and pepper
Skate, a type of ray, is closely related to the shark, and the most common variety of skate sold commercially is the green wing shark. However, this is a very different fish in flavour, fat content and texture from the skate in Europe.
Method
Preheat oven to 180C.
Coat the cherry tomatoes in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and roast in a large roasting pan for an initial 10 minutes.
Season the skate wings with salt and pepper and a pinch of dried chilli.
Heat a little extra olive oil in a pan and lightly brown the skate on the top side.
Transfer to the roasting pan, moving the tomatoes to one side, and roast for a further 10-15 mins (depending on the size of the wings) or until the meat lifts away easily from the cartilage.
For the dressing Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, capers, sea salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the roast tomatoes and lightly crush until they burst. Spoon the tomatoes and their juices over the top of each skate wing.
To serve
Serve with lemon quarters.
Serves 4.
