Poached skate wing with Lyonnaise potatoes and aioli

Here is another fantastic recipe for new potatoes, or any waxy potato.  Maris peer or rattes work well.  It makes a delicious accompaniment to fish, particularly with a pungent aioli to offset the sweet melted onions.  Colouring the potatoes in batches will actually help reduce the cooking time.

Lyonnaise potatoes

New or waxy potatoes, olive oil, butter, onion, garlic, finely chopped parsley

Peel and halve onions vertically, then slice across the grain very finely.  Melt butter in a large, heavy based pan, preferably that you have a lid for.  Salt and sweat the onions, stirring regularly, until melted and gilded light brown.  Remove.  Slice potatoes to the thickness of a £1 coin, or as thick as you wish depending on variety.  There is no need to peel them.  Blanch them for 30 seconds (boiling time) in salted boiling water, drain, dry in a tea-towel then brown in batches over a moderate heat in olive oil and more butter in the same pan.  Return the onions and all the potatoes to the pan with chopped garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Cook covered over a low heat or in the oven, adding water if you are worried about catching, for 30 minutes or until tender.  Finish with chopped parsley.

Poached skate wing with aioli

Skate wings have a very unpromising appearance but are fantastic value and eating the meat off the wing couldn’t be easier.  To serve with Lyonnaise potatoes.

Cut the top and bottom off a lemon, place on one end and remove the bitter pith in curved cuts with a sharp knife.  Slice the lemon and place in a casserole with sufficient cold water to cover the fish, with a teaspoon of salt and a pinch of peppercorns.  Lay in the skate wings and bring up to a nearly-boil, removing from the heat and allowing the fish to finish cooking in the liquid for 5 minutes.

For the aioli, I like to use half extra virgin olive oil and half flavourless oil such as sunflower, lemon juice and grated lemon rind, salt, white pepper and grated garlic.  It’s absolutely crucial to taste for balance of lemon acidity with saltiness, and pungency of garlic.  Don’t be afraid to make bold adjustments of flavour.  

The technique is the same as mayonnaise: put 2 egg yolks in a bowl with all other ingredients except the oil.  Whisk until lightened in colour and slightly thickened; a damp cloth under the bowl will help.  Add oil drop by drop at first while whisking, then in a thin stream until thick.  Taste and adjust.