Roast Skate With Malted, Caramelized Garlic Sauce

Mirdreams's Note:

Skate is a lovely ray type fish. This is a quick simple way to prepare it that comes out very tasty and looks very nice plated up. Since Skate's something not everyone knows how to make you'll impress people. I read online that skate improves when left to stand refrigerated for a day or two. As it matures, the flesh becomes firmer and more palatable. When purchased, it has usually been aged slightly.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

• 2 skate , wings
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves (2 tsp minced)
• 3 tablespoons malt vinegar
• 1 pinch of sweet smoked spanish paprika or 1 pinch plain paprika
• sea salt
• black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. To make the sauce take a small saucepan and fry the garlic in 3 tbsp of olive oil until it is dark nutty brown in colour.
3. Add the vinegar and a pinch of paprika.
4. Bring to the boil and reduce by half.
5. Season well with salt & pepper and remove from heat.
6. Drizzle the remaining olive oil into the pan to cover the bottom of large oven safe pan and heat on the stove top until very hot (I like to use cast iron).
7. Season the skate with salt & pepper on both sides.
8. Turn off the heat and slide in the skate, being careful of oil splatter.
9. Put the skate into the oven for about 10 minutes or until cooked through.
10. Remove and serve immediately with the warmed sauce spooned over the fish and a sprinkling of paprika.
11. Note that you can make the sauce while you do the skate but you should start the sauce first (when you start preheating the oven would work well) since the garlic takes a while to caramelize without burning.

Reviews

[Nancygirl]

This was a new food experience for us and we loved it! Although we didn't care for the sauce we also didn't think it needed anything. We seared it in a cast iron pan, per other reviews, and were really surprised at the taste and texture. My DSS said it was between crab and lobster. Our wing was rather large (fresh caught) and took about 13 minutes, we turned it once. I hope this trend catches on!

[Diann is Cooking]

Okay my fault, I burnt my hand on the handle of the pan in the oven, but that was my stupidity, not the fault of the recipe. Very very good. Good recipe, and it highlighted the skate taste, which believe it or not, is a mild white fish taste, I added more garlic than the recipe indicated, but othewise the same.

[Zeldaz]

A delicious sauce, simply made with ingredients on hand. This was my first "skating" experience. I was concerned about the garlic turning bitter during the browning, but it did not. The skate available to me is on the small side, and it did shrink while roasting, so it ended up being overcooked. I will cut the roasting time next time. This would be a wonderful way to serve any white fish, especially scallops. I also think a sherry vinegar would be great, especially when combined with smoked paprika (my newest flavor obsession).