Skate with black olives, pine nuts and anchovies

Skate is one of the most succulent and tasty fish in the sea.  It does, however, benefit from a strongly flavoured accompaniment which, in this case is provided by a olive paste and a pine nut salad.  The use of Moscatel vinegar adds a Spanish dimension.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 15 Mins

Total Time: 30 Mins

Ingredients

For 4 servings…

25 ml                 Olive oil  

4 wings              Skate  - 250 gms each         

                        Pepper  - freshly ground, black

                               Salt       

For the olive paste

250 gms             Olives  - black      

50 gms              Anchovy fillets      

1 clove               Garlic  - peeled     

75 ml                 Olive oil  

15 ml                 Vinegar  - Moscatel

For the pine nut salad

50 gms              Pine nuts

8 leaves             Mint  - sliced lengthways      

½                     Shallot  - chopped finely      

10 ml                 Vinegar  - Moscatel

60 ml                 Olive oil  

Method

To make an olive paste…

Put the olives, anchovies, garlic, olive oil and vinegar into a food processor and blend until smooth.

To prepare a pine nut salad…

Preheat the oven to 180°C and roast the pine nuts on a baking tray for 2 minutes, until lightly browned.  Remove them from the oven and reserve.

In a small bowl mix together the roasted pine nuts, mint, shallot, the vinegar and the extra virgin olive oil.  Reserve.

Heat 25 ml of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan until just smoking.  Pat the skate dry with kitchen towel and fry in the oil for 5 minutes on the thin side.  Season well.  Turn the fish over to its thicker side and cook for another 8 minutes.  Drizzle with a little more olive oil if needed.

Spoon a dollop of the olive paste on to each plate.  Put the fish on top and spoon another portion of paste on the upper side.  Serve with the pine nut salad.

Wine recommendations

A dry white wine.

Conventional

     Jurançon sec

Interesting

     Entre-deux-Mers

     Mâcon

     Muscat d'Alsace

     Picpoul de Pinet

Adventurous

     Manzanilla Sherry