BOOK/A TABLE - A Small Pale Ghost

It doesn’t end well for Janet, the heroine of Elspeth Barker’s O Caledonia—it doesn’t begin all that well either, as we discover “bloody, murderous death” right on page one. What an opening! In between we are treated to haunting depictions of adolescence, family betrayals, freezing cold castles, and a menagerie of unusual pets amid the Highlands of Scotland and Barker’s beautifully incisive and clever prose. 

Before things really go south, Janet pays a visit to an aquarium with a few acquaintances (I wouldn’t really call them friends):

“There had been a happy fish in the aquarium house. It was a skate, a pure white skate, and it had moved vertically, floating up and down on a little wake of bubbles, like a handkerchief or a small pale ghost. As it floated, it opened and closed its mouth, and it had seemed to Janet that it was soundlessly singing “Hallelujah, hallelujah. It’s effortless dance was a dance of praise, a joyous offering.”

Now, I’ve never encountered a skate in an aquarium (or its natural habitat for that matter), but I frequently reflect upon the skate with grapefruit they used to serve at Crispo in Manhattan—that was certainly a joyous offering. 

Unfortunately, Crispo closed at least several years ago. But, after living so long in the same place, you kinda get used to your favorite restaurants disappearing, taking your favorite dishes with them. To remedy that, I often try to recreate these past plates at home.

For this delicious, delicate skate recipe, any flaky white fish will do (such as sole, turbot, or tilapia) if you can’t find skate. The recipe goes quickly so prepare your ingredients beforehand. Do enjoy!

My comments below in italics.

Skate with Grapefruit
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 small skate wings, each cut into 2 equal pieces
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup wondra or all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sunflower or other neutral-tasting oil
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1/3 cup lightly toasted blanched hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
4 sprigs thyme
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 small pink grapefruit, suprêmed and juice reserved (to yield 12 segments and 2 tablespoons juice). (Perhaps you can use a jar of grapefruit segments to save time suprêming them? But use real grapefruit juice, not the syrup from the jar.)

Preparation
Step 1
Dredge Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat as you season skate with salt and pepper and then dredge in flour, shaking off excess.

Step 2
Sauté When pan is hot, add oil and heat until shimmering. Add skate pieces, working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, and sauté until fish is golden brown underneath, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Carefully turn pieces over with a fish spatula and reduce heat to medium. Cook until fish is uniformly opaque and browned on the other side, about 1 1/2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Step 3
Brown butter Wipe pan with paper towels and set over medium-low heat. Drop butter pieces into pan and swirl constantly (to cook evenly) until butter is melted and golden brown, 30 to 60 seconds. Stir in thyme and citrus juices; the butter will spatter a bit. Add hazelnuts, then remove from heat.

Step 4
Serve Divide skate pieces among plates, arrange three grapefruit segments over each serving, and drizzle evenly with hazelnut brown butter. Serve immediately.

From Martha Stewart’s Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook by Martha Stewart