Skate is an
easy, inexpensive seafood, it's really easy
to deal with (no filleting or gutting) tastes
great, no small bones to worry about and can
be oven baked, pan fried, steamed or
poached.
A
saltwater fish, belonging to the ray species of
fish, that is found in temperate waters throughout
the world. It is part of the ray family and is
related to the shark. Skate has a flat body with
triangle-shaped wings on each side of its body.
The wings, which are the pectoral fins, are the
edible, boneless meat of the fish. Mildly sweet in
flavor, the meat is semi-firm texture and although
it appears to be somewhat layered or partitioned,
it does hold together well when cooked or sautéed.
When preparing, occasionally the skate meat will
emit a smell similar to ammonia. This odor, which
will not affect the meat, can be removed by
soaking the meat in an acidulated water bath for a
short period of time. If not available, catfish,
shark (same family as skate) or sturgeon can be
substituted.
