Equipment
Ingredients
Fermented Fries
- 50 g salt
- 2 potato, peeled and cut into thin fries
- 1000 ml vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Hazelnut Tartare Sauce
- 50 g hazelnuts, raw, skinless
- 15 ml vegetable oil
- 2 egg yolk, room temperature
- 10 g english mustard
- 5 ml white wine vinegar
- 125 ml rapeseed oil
- 6 g chervil, finely chopped
- 18 g pickled onions, finely chopped
- 5 ml pickling vinegar
- 9 g beansprouts, finely chopped
- 2 g salt
Skate Wings
- 2 skate wings
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 70 g unsalted butter, diced
- 5 g salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Place the glass jars and rubber seals in an oven set to 100°C (212°F) for 10 minutes to sterilize. Allow to cool completely.
Dissolve 50g of salt in 1 liter of water in a mixing bowl to create a brine.
Pack the potato fries into the large sterilized jar and cover with brine until submerged by 3cm. Fill the small jar with extra brine and place it inside to weigh the potatoes down.
Seal the jar and ferment at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. Open the jar daily to release gas; fermentation is complete when fizzing stops.
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Toss hazelnuts with 15ml of oil and roast for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
Crush the roasted hazelnuts lightly and season with salt. Leave to cool on kitchen paper.
Whisk egg yolks, mustard, and vinegar in a small bowl. Drizzle in 125ml of rapeseed oil very slowly while whisking constantly to emulsify into a thick sauce.
Fold half the hazelnuts, chervil, onions, pickling vinegar, and beansprouts into the sauce. Season with salt and set aside.
Using a sharp knife and scissors, remove the central bow-shaped bone from the skate wings. Slice each wing horizontally to create four portions.
Preheat the deep-fat fryer to 180°C (350°F). Drain the fermented fries and pat them completely dry.
Fry the potatoes in batches until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
Heat 30ml oil in a frying pan. Season skate with salt and sear, thick-side down, for 2 minutes.
Add butter to the pan. Once foaming, flip the fish and cook for 1 minute while basting the top with the brown butter.
Rest the fish on a warmed plate for 2 minutes. Carefully remove the fillets from the bones and sandwich them back together into boneless portions.
Place tartare sauce on plates, sprinkle with remaining nuts, and top with the skate and fries. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- For the fermented fries, ensure your potatoes are cut uniformly to promote even fermentation and cooking.
- When making the tartare sauce, adding the oil extremely slowly is crucial for a stable emulsion. If it looks like it's breaking, stop adding oil and whisk vigorously until it comes back together.
- Skate wings cook quickly; be careful not to overcook them, as they can become tough. The flesh should be opaque and flake easily.
- Roasting the hazelnuts until fragrant and lightly browned intensifies their nutty flavor, which is essential for the tartare sauce.
- When deboning the skate, a sharp, flexible filleting knife is your best friend. Work carefully along the bones to maximize yield.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Sauce and fish should be consumed fresh; fermented fries can stay in brine for several weeks.
Reheating: Not recommended for fish; fries can be re-fried briefly.
