Lon had this idea for cutting skate into strips because it looks like nature intended for us to do so. See the lines already marked for you? (I cut them at every other line.)
I decided it would be perfect for a simple Chinese preparation, Salt & Pepper style. I’ve never had skate in a Chinese restaurant so this is not a classic dish, but more my interpretation.
Salt & Pepper Skate
~makes two entree portions
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Cornstarch
- 1/4 cup Cornmeal
- 9.5 ounces Skate Strips
- 2 teaspoons Vegetable Oil + enough for frying
- 1/2 cup Sliced Onions
- Kosher Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
1. In a medium sized bowl, mix together corn starch and cornmeal. Toss skate strips in and coat evenly.
2. Heat frying oil in a wok. Prepare a bowl with paper towel on the side. Fry skate strips (you may need to do it in 2 batches) and put finished strips on paper towels. Sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
3. Quickly dump the oil in the wok and heat the 2 teaspoons of oil. Quickly stir fry the onion for just a few seconds. You want them to remain crisp. Season.
4. Plate fish and onion together. In Chinese restaurants Salt and Pepper dishes are often plated on a bed of shredded lettuce, but I didn’t have any.
Oh I love this. I don’t think I could get my hands on skate around here if I tried, but I wonder if it would work with mahi mahi? I just bought some fillets that appear to have the same texture lines that keep telling me “cut us into strips here–now stir fry us.” Thanks!
great looking dish and so easy. I love C-town noodle factory, they do great salt / pepper seafood. I didn’t know it was so easy. What oil do you use for frying?
hmm what is skate?
This looks so good! I love anything fried, but fishy stuff is the best and these strips of skate look like heaven! It always amazes me that such simple things can often be the best.
Truly fish can get as simple as this – but you will need the best knife around to do a good job of the slicing. Skates are difficult to get where I live and I usually rely on the seafood restaurants for such simple pleasures.
EMC, I think this preparation will taste good for any fish that is strong enough to not fall apart, but it will just taste different.
Bill G, not all salt & pepper is prepared the same way. You can make squid like this but the shrimp is a little different. I usually use vegetable oil for frying which is what most Chinese do at home.
Pearl, Skate is a bottom dwelling fish in the same family as stingrays.
Jamie, yea, I sometimes feel like frying is cheating as a chef. =)
Samantha, cleaning and filleting skate is a pain in the butt. However, if you can buy it already cleaned, it is super easy to cut into strips.