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Skate

SKATE

SMOKED CHILE BUTTER, CAPERS, TARRAGON, CRISPY HOMINY

Skate, for those of you who are unfamiliar with it, is delicately textured and tastes very much like scallops. In France there are endless wonderful brasseries, and nearly all of them serve skate with a brown butter sauce. Smoky chipotle puree instantly Americanizes the butter sauce with its fiery taste of the Southwest. The finishing touches for the skate—salty capers, tart lemon juice, and my favorite herb for seafood, tarragon—are all simple but come together in a dynamic way. The tomato salad is optional, but it brings a lovely touch of bright color and freshness to the plate.

Serves 4

Crispy Hominy

Nonstick cooking spray

1 cup fine white cornmeal, plus 1½ cups for dredging

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup ricotta cheese

½ cup canola oil

Skate

4 (7-ounce) boneless skate fillets

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup Wondra flour

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup dry white wine

Smoked Chile Butter

2 tablespoons brined capers, drained

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

Tomato Salad (optional)

Chive Oil (optional)

1. To make the crispy hominy, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the cornmeal a little a time, whisking constantly with a wire whisk. Once all the cornmeal has been added, turn the heat to low and cover the pot. Stir the mixture using a wooden spoon every 5 minutes and continue cooking until all the liquid is absorbed and the mixture is very creamy, 25 to 30 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan and butter and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the ricotta; it does not need to be totally mixed in. Spread the mixture evenly onto the prepared baking sheet to a thickness of ½ inch. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap into the hominy, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.

4. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

5. Spread the 1½ cups of cornmeal on a large plate and season with salt and pepper. Cut the hominy into eight 2-inch rounds. Dredge each cake on both sides in the cornmeal. Heat ¼ cup of the oil in a 9-inch cast-iron pan or a deep sauté pan over medium-high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Sauté 4 of the cakes until golden brown on each side, 1½ to 2 minutes per side. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining oil and cakes. Transfer to the oven to keep warm while you cook the skate.

6. Season both sides of the skate with salt and pepper. Spread out the flour on a large plate and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the skate on both sides in the flour and tap off any excess.

7. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over high heat. Cook the skate on both sides until light golden brown and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

8. Add the wine to the pan and boil until reduced by half. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the cold chile butter a few tablespoons at a time and whisk until emulsified. Add the capers, lemon juice, and tarragon and season with salt and pepper to taste.

9. Put the fish fillets on 4 plates and serve 2 hominy cakes per person. Spoon the sauce over the fish and top with some of the tomato salad if you like. Garnish with chive oil if desired.

SMOKED CHILE BUTTER

Makes ¾ cup

10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons pureed canned chipotle chiles in adobo

2 teaspoons honey

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the butter, chipotle puree, and honey in a food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Scrape into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

TOMATO SALAD

Serves 4 as a garnish

1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

½ small red onion,