Skate in Wine

Ingredients

Serves 4

450g / 1lb Skate Wings (ask your fishmonger to skin and portion the fish for you)
2 Shallots, chopped
1 Onion, sliced
Salt and Pepper
50g / 2oz Mushrooms, sliced
30ml / 2tbsp Chopped Parsley
150ml / 1/4 pt Dry White Wine
15g / 1/2 oz Butter
15ml / 1 tbsp Plain Flour
50g / 2oz Breadcrumbs

Perperation and Cooking

1.  Place the skate wings into a greased ovenproof dish, sprinkle with the shallots and onion and season to taste with salt and pepper.

2.  Mix the mushrooms and half the parsley with the wine and add it to the dish.  Cover and bake in a preheated oven at 180oC / 350oF / gas mark 4 (reduce heat by 10o - 20o for fan assisted ovens) for approx 45 mins.

3.  Transfer the fish to a warmed serving dish and keep warm, reserving the liquid. 

4.  Melt the butter in a saucepan over a gentle heat.  Remove from the heat and add flour to form a smooth paste.  Return to heat and cook paste for about a minute.  Remove from the heat again and very gradually, stiring all the time, add the reserved liquid from the fish.  Return the sauce to the heat, bring gently to the boil stirring all the time until sauce thickens.

5.  Pour the sauce over the fish and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.  Brown under a hot grill and serve sprinkled with the remaining parsley.