Skate Wing au Beurre Noir with Capers and Cornichons

⏱ 30 min · Serves 2

A bistro classic that never dates: sweet, silky skate wing, pan-roasted until the flesh slips off those pearly cartilage combs, then flooded with nut-brown butter, sharp capers, crunchy cornichons and a hit of lemon. Twenty-five minutes from pan to plate, and it eats like a Paris backstreet.

Per serving: 648 kcal · 49.0g protein · 9.0g carbs · 47.0g fat

Ingredients

• 2 skate wings, about 300g each, skinned and trimmed
• 2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp sunflower or light olive oil
• 100g unsalted butter, cold and diced
• 2 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
• 6 cornichons, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus wedges to serve
• 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Boiled new potatoes, to serve

Method

1. Pat the skate wings very dry with kitchen paper and season both sides. Dust lightly in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.
2. Heat a large non-stick or heavy frying pan over a medium-high heat with the oil and a small knob of the butter. Lay in the wings, thickest edge towards the centre of the pan.
3. Fry for 4-5 minutes without moving, until deep golden, then turn carefully with a fish slice and cook another 3-4 minutes. The fish is done when the flesh comes away from the cartilage with gentle pressure. Lift onto warm plates and keep somewhere warm.
4. Wipe out the pan and return to a medium heat. Add the remaining butter and let it foam, swirling, for 2-3 minutes until it smells of hazelnuts and turns a deep nut brown — dark, but never black-black or bitter.
5. Off the heat, add the capers and cornichons (stand back, it will spit), then the vinegar and lemon juice. Swirl to emulsify slightly, add the parsley and a good grind of pepper.
6. Spoon the black butter over the skate, making sure everyone gets plenty of capers and cornichons. Serve at once with buttery new potatoes and a lemon wedge.