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Raie au beurre noir
Skate in brown butter
Raie au beurre noir: French poached skate wing with browned butter, capers and vinegar
Raie au beurre noir is a much-loved bistro and home dish all along the French coasts and in Paris, served on Fridays with boiled potatoes. The skate wing is poached gently in a vinegary court-bouillon until the soft, ribbed flesh slides off its cartilage, then it is covered with butter cooked until deep brown and nutty, sharpened with capers and a splash of vinegar. Despite the name, the butter should be dark hazelnut, never black and burnt. The common mistake is overcooking the skate, which turns it stringy. Chef's tip: buy skate very fresh; any smell of ammonia means it is old.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the court-bouillon
- 6 ¼ cups water
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 bay leaf
For the fish
- 2 skate wingsabout 350 g each
- 2 ⅛ oz butter
- 1 tbsp capersdrained
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsleychopped
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Bring the 6 ¼ cups water, 3 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp salt, 1 bay leaf and 6 black peppercorns to the boil in a wide pan and simmer for 5 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Lower the 2 skate wings into the barely simmering liquid and poach for 10–12 minutes, until the flesh is opaque and lifts easily from the cartilage with a knife. Lift out carefully, drain and put on warm plates.
12 minStep 3: Melt the 2 ⅛ oz butter in a small pan over a medium heat and cook until it foams, then turns deep golden brown and smells of toasted nuts.
3 minStep 4: Take it off the heat, add the 1 tbsp capers and 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (stand back, it spits), then pour straight over the fish. Scatter with 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and serve with boiled potatoes.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does raie au beurre noir take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of white wine vinegar?
- Cider vinegar or rice vinegar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of black peppercorns?
- Ground black pepper, a little less than the amount.
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