
[Middle English scate, from Old Norse skata.]
A fish that lives in the shallow waters of most seas. Skate measures from 12 in. (30 cm) to more than 20 ft (6 m) in length, depending on the species (the manta ray is the largest and can weigh over 1 ton/900 kg). Its wings, cheeks and liver are edible. It has white or pink flesh with no bones.
Buying
Small skate are sold whole and gutted. Larger specimens are sold in pieces.
Preparing
Skate contains urea, which turns into ammonia after the death of the fish. This substance disappears during cooking, but skate is better 1 or 2 days after being killed, as the smell is less strong. To improve the flavor, rinse skate before cooking by soaking it for 2 hr in water to which some lemon, vinegar or milk has been added.
To skin skate, cover with boiling water and poach for 1-2 min. Lay the skate out flat and scrape off the skin with a knife; turn it over and repeat the process. Proceed with care, as the wings can contain spikes.
Serving Ideas
Skate is cooked in the same way as scallops. Cook well or it will be slimy. It should also be served very hot to avoid its becoming gelatinous.
Cooking
Remove the skin of the skate.
Poached: 15 min.
Baked: 15-25 min.
Sautéed: in a beurre noir (browned butter with a little lemon juice or vinegar) (4-6 min each side).
Nutritional Information
| protein | 22 g |
| fat | 1 g |
| calories | 98 |
| per 3.5 oz/100 g | |
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For more information on skate, visit Britannica.com.
This odd-looking, kite-shaped fish is also called a ray. The names are used interchangeably, though in some quarters the term "skate" is applied to the members of this species that are used for eating, while "ray" generally refers to those (like the electric ray and giant manta ray) that are fished for sport. Skates have winglike pectoral fins that undulate as the fish meanders along the ocean floor (there are also freshwater rays). The fins are the edible part of a skate. Their delicious flesh is firm, white and sweet-not unlike that of the scallop. Depending on the region, skate is available year-round. Like shark meat, skate must be soaked in acidulated water to remove its natural ammonia odor. Skate can be prepared in a variety of ways including poaching, baking and frying. See also fish.

| Skates Temporal range: Late Cretaceous–Recent [1] |
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|---|---|
| New Zealand smooth skate Dipturus innominatus Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Superorder: | Batoidea |
| Order: | Rajiformes Berg, 1940 |
| Family: | Rajidae Bonaparte, 1831 |
Skates are cartilaginous fishes belonging to the family Rajidae in the superorder Batoidea of rays. More than 200 species have been described, in 27 genera. There are two subfamilies, Rajinae (hardnose skates) and Arhynchobatinae (softnose skates).
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Skates have slow growth rates and, since they mature late, low reproductive rates. As a result, skates are vulnerable to overfishing and appear to have been overfished and are suffering reduced population levels in many parts of the world. The barndoor skate, Raja laevis, is currently listed with the IUCN as vulnerable due to being severely overfished.[2] However, population data are lacking to determine the exploitation of the big skate at this time.[citation needed]
In 2010, Greenpeace International added the barndoor skate, bottlenose skate, spotback skate, and maltese skate to its seafood red list. "The Greenpeace International seafood red list is a list of fish that are commonly sold in supermarkets around the world, and which have a very high risk of being sourced from unsustainable fisheries."[3]
| Wikispecies has information related to: Rajidae |
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rajidae |
| Look up skate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
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