db Bistro Moderne

Culinary Recipes

Skate Grandmere

Sautéed Skate "Grand Mere" with Wild Mushrooms, Bacon, Onions and Potatoes

 

Makes 4 servings ( download recipe)

 

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 12 cipollini onions, peeled and trimmed
• 4 shallots, peeled and trimmed
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 sprig thyme
• 12 Fingerling potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
• 2 ounces slab bacon, cut into short, thin strips
• 9 ounces wild mushrooms (3 oz. yellowfoot, 3 oz. black trumpet, 3 oz. bluefoot) cleaned and trimmed
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper
• ½ cup homemade unsalted chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ pound baby spinach leaves, cleaned
• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• four cleaned skate fillets, 6 ounces each
• 2 tablespoons Wondra flour
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons parsley, coarsely chopped

Methodology:

1. Warm 2 tablespoons butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the onions, shallots, garlic and thyme and cook and stir just until the vegetables start to take on a little color, about 3 minutes.  Add the potatoes, celery root, and bacon and cook 1 to 2 minutes, just to start rendering the bacon fat.  Cover the pan and cook another 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.
2. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper.  Add the chicken stock and 2 tablespoons butter and bring to the boil.  Set aside a handful of the baby spinach.  Add the remaining spinach to the pan and cook just until wilted.  Set aside and keep warm.
3. Cut the peel and pith from the lemon so that the flesh is exposed.  Separate the lemon segments from the membrane and cut the segments into small dice.
4. Warm the olive oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over high heat.  Season the skate fillets with salt and pepper and dust with Wondra flour.  When the oil is very hot (it should smoke lightly), slip the skate into the pan.  When the edges of the fish begin to turn opaque, reduce the heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons butter.  Baste the fish with the butter and cook until the fish is golden brown on one side, about 2-3 minutes.  Carefully flip the fillets over, sprinkle the reserved lemon dice over the fillets.  Continue to baste with the butter, deglaze with the sherry vinegar and cook for another 30 seconds.  Before removing the fillets from the pain, sprinkle with parsley.  Drain the fillets on a paper towel-lined plate.

 

To Serve

Season the reserved baby spinach with salt and pepper.  Divide the vegetables onto four warm dinner plates, top with the skate and garnish with the baby spinach.  Serve immediately.