Skate with Caper Sauce is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of skate wings cooked in a water and vinegar mix that's salted and flavoured with pepper, onion, parsley, bayleaves and thyme and which is served in caper sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Boiled Skate.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
316. INGREDIENTS.—2 or 3 slices of skate, 1/2 pint of vinegar, 2 oz. of salt, 1/2 teaspoonful of pepper, 1 sliced onion, a small bunch of parsley, 2 bay-leaves, 2 or 3 sprigs of thyme, sufficient water to cover the fish.
Mode.—Put in a fish-kettle all the above ingredients, and simmer the skate in them till tender. When it is done, skin it neatly, and pour over it some of the liquor in which it has been boiling. Drain it, put it on a hot dish, pour over it caper sauce, and send some of the latter to table in a tureen.
Time.—1/2 hour. Average cost, 4d. per lb.
Seasonable from August to April.
Note.—Skate may also be served with onion sauce, or parsley and butter.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
2 or 3 skate wings
300ml vinegar
60g sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1 onion, sliced
1 small bunch of parsley
2 bayleaves
3 sprigs of thyme
enough water to cover the fish
caper sauce, to serve
Method:
Wipe the skate wings clean then place in a fish kettle before adding the vinegar, salt, black pepper, onion, parsley, bayleaves and thyme. Pour over just enough water to cover then bring to a simmer and continue cooking for about 30 minutes, or until the skate wings are tender.
Remove the skate wings from the pan and skin if they have not been previously prepared. Pour over some of the liquid in which the fish was cooked and set aside for 5 minutes. Drain the fish then transfer to a hot dish. Pour over just enough of the caper sauce to cover then serve the remaining caper sauce as an accompaniment.
