Skate Wing in Butter

Dinner

Buttery skate wing with golden, crispy edges and flesh so tender it falls off the cartilage in sweet, meaty strands. The fish gets a light flour coating, then pan-fries in foaming butter until it's caramelised and gorgeous. More butter goes in at the end, nutty, rich, and soaking into every crevice. Proper comfort food that feels fancy but takes twenty minutes.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 22 minutes mins

Servings 2

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Ingredients  

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• 2 skate wings about 200-250g each, skinned
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 80 gr unsalted butter
• 1 handful flat-leaf parsley
• salt and black pepper
• 1 lemon cut into wedges

Equipment

• frying pan preferably non-stick or well-seasoned
• double spatula or fish slice

Instructions

1. 1. Prep the skate

   Pat the skate wings completely dry with kitchen paper. Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper. Put the flour on a plate and dust each wing lightly on both sides, shaking off any excess.

   The drier the fish, the better it'll crisp up. Don't skip the paper towel step.
2. 2. Heat the pan

   Melt 40g of the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When it starts to foam and smell nutty, you're ready to cook.

   You want the butter hot enough to sizzle when the fish hits it, but not so hot it burns immediately. Medium-high is the sweet spot.
3. 3. Fry the skate

   Carefully lay the skate wings in the pan, prettiest side down. Cook for 5-6 minutes without moving them, you want that golden crust to form. Flip gently with a wide spatula and cook for another 4-5 minutes on the other side.

   Skate cooks quickly. The flesh should flake easily from the cartilage when it's done. If you've got thick wings, give them an extra minute or two.
4. 4. Add more butter

   When the skate is cooked through and golden on both sides, add the remaining 40g butter to the pan. Let it melt and foam around the fish, basting it with a spoon for a minute or so.

   This second hit of butter is what makes the dish. It soaks into the fish and creates that glossy, rich finish you see in French bistros.
5. 5. Finish and serve

   Transfer the skate to warm plates. Pour the buttery pan juices over the top, scatter with fresh parsley, and add a good pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.

   The lemon's essential, a good squeeze cuts through all that butter and makes the fish taste phenomenal.

Notes

• Ask your fishmonger to skin it for you. Skinned skate wings should look clean and white.
• Some recipes use cornflour for an even crispier crust, but plain flour is traditional and works brilliantly.
• Use a pan big enough to fit both wings without crowding. If they overlap, they’ll steam rather than fry. Cook in batches if needed.
• Watch the butter carefully. If it starts to go brown too quickly, lower the heat slightly. You want golden and nutty, not burnt.

About this recipe

Skate wing in butter (Raie poêlée au beurre) is one of those dishes that proves French cooking doesn’t need to be complicated to be brilliant. It’s all about good ingredients and proper technique, fresh fish, decent butter, hot pan, job done.

Skate has been popular in French coastal cooking for centuries, especially in Brittany and Normandy. It was historically a cheap fish, often overlooked in favour of fancier catches, but French cooks knew what they were doing. The unique texture of skate, those thick, sweet strands that peel away from the cartilage, works beautifully with simple butter preparations.

Unlike the more elaborate beurre noir (brown butter with capers and vinegar), this version keeps things dead simple. Just butter, parsley, and lemon. The light flour coating creates a golden crust that contrasts with the tender fish underneath, whilst the butter adds richness without overwhelming the delicate flavour.

This is the kind of dish you’d find in a family-run restaurant along the Brittany coast, no fuss, no frills, just properly cooked fish that tastes of the sea. The technique is the same one used for sole meunière, but skate’s meatier texture makes it more forgiving to cook and arguably more satisfying to eat.

In France, skate availability has declined in recent years due to overfishing, so it’s becoming more of a special occasion fish rather than an everyday cheap option. If your fishmonger has it, grab it. The texture is unlike any other fish, and this simple preparation lets you appreciate exactly why French cooks have loved it for generations.