Equipment
Ingredients
Egg Sauce (Gribiche Style)
- 2 eggs, whole
- 15 g dijon mustard
- 20 ml white wine vinegar
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 10 g capers, drained and minced
- 5 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 3 g fresh tarragon, finely chopped
- 2 g sea salt
Poaching Liquid
- 500 ml water
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 15 ml lemon juice
- 2 g black peppercorns, whole
- 1 bay leaf
Skate and Salad Base
- 400 g skate wing, cartilage-in or filleted, skin removed
- 100 g frisée lettuce, washed, dried, and torn
- 1 crisp apple, cored and thinly sliced
- 150 g cherry tomatoes, halved
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Place the eggs in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Cook for exactly 9 minutes. Immediately transfer to an ice bath to cool, then peel. Separate the cooked yolks from the whites. Finely chop the egg whites and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, crush the cooked egg yolks together with the Dijon mustard and white wine vinegar until a smooth paste forms. Slowly whisk in the olive oil drop by drop to emulsify into a thick, creamy sauce. Fold in the chopped egg whites, capers, parsley, tarragon, and sea salt. Set aside to let the flavors meld.
Core and thinly slice the apple. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Wash and thoroughly dry the frisée lettuce.
In a wide pan, combine the water, dry white wine, lemon juice, whole peppercorns, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, maintaining a temperature around 85°C/185°F.
Gently lower the skate wing into the simmering liquid. Poach for 6 to 8 minutes. Ensure the internal temperature reaches 63°C/145°F. The fish is ready when the flesh turns opaque white and easily pulls away from the central cartilage. Carefully transfer the skate to a plate.
Once the skate has cooled just enough to handle, use a fork to gently scrape the meat away from both sides of the cartilage in large flakes. Discard the cartilage.
Arrange the prepared frisée lettuce, apple slices, and halved cherry tomatoes on serving plates. Top each salad with the warm flakes of poached skate. Spoon the rich egg sauce generously over the fish and greens, serving immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Skate wing requires absolute freshness; it should smell like the clean ocean. If you detect a faint aroma of ammonia, the fish is past its prime.
- Poaching the skate directly on its cartilage is essential. The cartilage provides a protective barrier against the heat, keeping the meat exceptionally tender, and makes it incredibly easy to cleanly slip the cooked flesh away.
- While a classic French sauce gribiche utilizes raw egg yolks for the emulsion, this hard-boiled technique offers a much safer alternative for vulnerable populations while providing a gorgeously thick, rustic texture.
- Ensure your frisée is perfectly dry before plating. Residual water on the greens will dilute the bold flavors of the egg sauce and cause it to slide off the leaves.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Store the egg sauce and poached skate in separate airtight containers. Assembled salad greens will wilt quickly.
