Carbonnade de raie

Cooking the skate in breadcrumbs results in a delicious but substantial dish.  It goes very well with Hollandaise sauce.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 25 Mins

Total Time: 40 Mins

Ingredients

For 4 servings…

680 gms          Skate  - wings         

                      Court bouillon         

½                   Lemon  - juice of      

                      Pepper      

                      Salt          

60 gms            Butter       

1                    Egg  - beaten         

140 gms          Breadcrumbs  - fresh white      

For the court-bouillon

60 ml              Wine        

2 tbs               Vinegar     

                      Water  - to cover the fish        

1                    Onion  - sliced        

1 bunch           Parsley     

1 tsp               Peppercorns           

For the Hollandaise sauce

1½ tbs            Vinegar  - white wine 

1 blade            Mace        

6                    Peppercorns           

½                   Bay leaf     

60 gms            Butter       

1                    Egg  - yolk 

                      Salt          

                      Pepper  - white        

To serve

  Hollandaise sauce

Method

Cook the skate in court bouillon for 10 minutes.  Trim it and cut it into large pieces.  Sprinkle it with salt, pepper and the lemon juice.  Quickly fry the pieces of skate in most of the butter and  then dip them into the beaten egg and coat with the breadcrumbs.  Place them in an ovenproof dish with the remaining butter and then cook them in an oven at 180°C for 15 minutes – until just browning.  Serve immediately, with the Hollandaise sauce.

To make the Hollandaise sauce…

Put the vinegar, spices and bay-leaf into a pan and reduce to a small dessertspoon.  Set on one side.  Reserve a nut of butter and work the remainder until soft.  Break the yolk into a bowl, add the vinegar and beat well with the nut of butter and a pinch of salt.  Put in a thick saucepan.  Warm the pan to temperature that is cool enough to touch but no hotter.  Using a whisk work the yolks until thickening and then add the softened butter, bit by bit.  At all times it should be lukewarm rather than hot.  Season with white pepper.

Wine recommendations

A fruity white wine.

Conventional

     Graves blanc

Interesting

     Pinot Blanc

     Quincy