Fry a large, flat skate on the stove. As it cooks, the pink-tinged flesh turns white with a firm texture. Once cooked, the meat comes away easily from its supportive bony framework with a fork.
50g plain flour, seasoned with salt and black pepper
25g butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
For the sauce
175g butter
4 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons caperberries
3 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
For the mashed potatoes
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
110ml olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Place the potatoes in a pan of salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes or until they are tender. Lift out with a slotted spoon and place in a serving bowl. Set aside
Wash and pat dry the skate wings, then season with salt and pepper.
Dip the wings in the seasoned flour and shake off any excess before frying in an oiled skillet for 5-6 minutes on each side or until browned and crisp.
While the wings are frying, blend the sauce ingredients.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the lemon juice and cook on low heat until it is almost dissolving. Add the caperberries and continue cooking until the capers are reduced and turning into a sauce.
Add the capers, parsley and caperberries and continue to cook for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
To make the mashed potatoes, pour over the olive oil into the bowl of cooked potatoes. Mash the potatoes until they are well blended and lump-free. Season with salt and pepper.
Serving Suggestions: To serve, spoon the mashed potatoes into the middle of the plates and set a skate wing on top. Cover with a generous spoonful of the sauce and garnish with caperberries and parsley. Serve immediately.