Skate

A saltwater fish, belonging to the ray species of fish, that is found in temperate waters throughout the world. It is part of the ray family and is related to the shark. Skate has a flat body with triangle-shaped wings on each side of its body. The wings, which are the pectoral fins, are the edible, boneless meat of the fish. Mildly sweet in flavor, the meat is semi-firm texture and although it appears to be somewhat layered or partitioned, it does hold together well when cooked or sautéed. When preparing, occassionally the skate meat will emit a smell similar to ammonia. This odor, which will not affect the meat, can be removed by soaking the meat in an acidulated water bath for a short period of time. If not available, catfish, shark (smae family as skate) or sturgeon can be substituted.