Poached skate with orange and tarragon cream sauce

Skate is a unique fish with a flavoursome, succulent flesh.  The orange and tarragon sauce is interesting and unusual and goes particularly well with the skate.

Preparation Time: 10 Mins

Cooking Time: 20 Mins

Total Time: 30 Mins

Ingredients

For 2 servings…

2 wings           Skate        

                     Court bouillon         

For the court-bouillon

                     Water  - to cover the fish        

1½ tbs            Vinegar  - white wine 

1                    Onion  - sliced        

½                   Bay leaf     

1 bunch           Parsley     

1 blade            Mace        

6                    Peppercorns           

                     Salt          

For the sauce

30 gms            Butter       

3 tbs               Cream  - double      

½                   Orange  - juice and grated rind of          

                     Pepper  - freshly ground, black 

                     Salt          

½ tsp             Tarragon  - chopped 

Method

To cook the skate…

Cut the skate wings into wedge-shaped pieces and poach in the court bouillon for 15 minutes.  At the end of this time, take out the skate pieces, place them on a serving dish and keep them warm.

To make the sauce…

Melt the butter in a frying-pan and add the cream.  Stir and cook for 5 minutes until the sauce is thick, but do not allow it to burn.  Add the orange rind and juice and season and then stir in the tarragon.  Pour a little of the sauce over the fish and serve the remainder in a sauce-boat.

Wine recommendations

A white wine that is not too aromatic.

Conventional

     Vouvray sec

Interesting

     Chinon blanc

     Jurançon sec

     Santenay blanc