Pan-seared smooth skate wing with clam butter, slow-roasted tomatoes, and chili

Ingredients

• 500 g fresh smooth skate wings, skinned by your fishmonger
• 500 g fresh wild or farmed clams, tightly closed
• 250 g ripe cherry tomatoes
• 1 piece fresh red chili
• 2 pieces scallions
• 2 cloves fresh garlic
• 90 g high-quality unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 80 ml dry white wine
• 1 tsp Vietnamese fish sauce
• 30 g all-purpose flour
• 1 piece unwaxed lemon
• 60 g fresh mung bean sprouts
• to taste fine sea salt
• to taste ground white pepper

Method

1. Purge the clams in a large bowl of cold, well-salted water for 20 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Discard any clams that are cracked or remain open after a light tap.
2. Preheat the oven to 300 °F (150 °C). Halve the cherry tomatoes and place them cut-side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a little olive oil, then add part of the thinly sliced garlic, part of the sliced chili, salt, and pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes at 300 °F (150 °C), until shriveled, glossy, and concentrated with juice without drying out.
3. While the tomatoes slow-roast, thoroughly pat dry the skate wings with paper towels. Lightly season both sides with salt and let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes; the surface should turn matte and lose excess moisture to promote better browning.
4. Heat a wide pot over high heat (around 400 °F / 200 °C at the bottom). Add a drizzle of olive oil, the remaining garlic, the sliced white parts of the scallions, and the clams. Pour in the white wine, cover immediately, and cook over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pot, until all shells have fully opened.
5. Transfer the opened clams to a bowl as they open. Strain their cooking juices through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any grit. Shuck most of the clams, reserving a few in their shells for plating if desired.
6. Return the strained clam juice to a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until reduced by half and slightly syrupy. Lower the heat to low (around 150 °F to 160 °F / 65 °C to 70 °C), whisk in the cold butter piece by piece for 2 minutes to emulsify, then stir in the fish sauce. The sauce should be glossy and coating, and must never boil.
7. Fold the shucked clams into the clam butter and warm over very low heat (140 °F / 60 °C maximum) for 1 to 2 minutes without boiling, to keep them tender.
8. Very lightly dust the skate wings with flour, then tap off any excess. The coating should be almost invisible, just enough to protect the flesh and encourage a delicate crust.
9. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil (around 340 °F / 170 °C on the surface). Place the skate smoothest side down in the skillet. Sear for 4 to 5 minutes undisturbed, until the underside takes on a rich golden color and the edges begin to draw back.
10. Gently flip the skate with a wide spatula. Add a knob of butter and continuously baste the fish with the foaming butter for 3 to 4 minutes, until it develops a light nutty aroma and reaches an internal temperature of 125 °F (52 °C) on an instant-read thermometer, with the flesh separating into pearly flakes.
11. Transfer the skate to a wire rack or warm plate and let rest for 3 minutes to relax the muscle fibers and redistribute the juices.
12. Briefly rewarm the slow-roasted tomatoes for 1 minute over low heat if needed. Toss the mung bean sprouts with a squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and the thinly sliced scallion greens. They should stay crisp and fresh.
13. Plate each skate wing in the center of a warm dish. Arrange the slow-roasted tomatoes around it, then spoon the warm clam butter over the top of the fish. Scatter with the clams, a few crisp bean sprouts, a touch of fresh chili to taste, and a final grating of lemon zest.
14. Serve immediately while the skate is still pearlescent and the clam butter remains glossy. The garnishes should frame the fish, not cover it.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

934.7 kcal

Protein

65.77 g

Carbohydrate

22.17 g

Fat

64.2 g

Fibre

5.13 g

Calcium

33.06 mg

Iron

0.98 mg

Magnesium

27.42 mg