Tomorrow we film the cooking segment of our first episode of "Around the World in 100 Miles" (RI PBS 14, Mondays in April, 6:30 p.m.). We filmed our farmer's market visit weeks ago, and of course I made the apple parsnip soup and served it at a committee meeting. But two huge parsnips sat forlornly in the fridge as I attended to other matters. Finally back at the FM, I bought all the ingredients again, but also got to talking to one of the fish mongers and went home with a giant skate wing for only $9. This thing (think: sting ray or shark) will easily feed four people and I was told tasted like scallops. Scallops being one of my favorite seafood but usually outside my budget, I had to give skate a try. But what to do with those parsnips I hadn't done a million times already?
I decided to do all easy recipes except for croquettes, which I had an intense craving for. I cooked up some risotto and prepped everything else. The parsnips were limp and hard to peel. I ended up boiling them like potatoes in the same pan I had cooked the risotto in, while the latter quick-chilled in the freezer. I roasted two large cloves of hard-neck garlic in foil in the oven and mashed it into the parsnips with butter and a bit of salt and white pepper, after I drained the parsnips. The croquettes got formed, dipped, and fried. As soon as that was done, I poured the still-hot oil into the now clean pan I had cooked the risotto and parsnips in, so it could cool off and I could cook the skate. Still warm, the butter browned quickly in the large skillet. Ten minutes later (two hours total if you count the risotto prep and cooling), I served skate, mashed garlic parsnips, parmesan croquettes, and some window sill mesclun greens. Everyone had seconds and there were still leftovers because I made too much food. The skate does taste rather like scallops, but with a different texture, close to a delicate catfish.
Looking forward to airing the show soon. It was fun just throwing together some tried and true recipes with a few local twists. The Newport Great White went perfect with the meal, and also finished off the skate nicely. Tomorrow, making soup again and sharing it and my new leftovers with friends.
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Croquettes
Taste of France Meets Italy
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Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 20-25 minutes Chill: Overnight Makes 12
1/2 diced onion
1 tbs. unsalted butter
1 cup uncooked risotto
3 cups no-salt chicken stock
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/2 cup grated Naragansett Atwell’s Gold or aged parmesan
2 eggs, beaten and divided
1 cup Panko crumbs
1 tsp. lemon thyme
oil for frying
Melt butter. Sauté onions over medium heat until golden, 3-5 minutes. Stir in risotto and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Pour in one cup of stock, cooking and stirring until absorbs. Continue with second cup of stock. Repeat with last cup of stock. Add liquid and cook longer if rice is not tender after that. Stir in cheese, salt, and pepper. Chill several hours or overnight. When cool, mix rice with one beaten egg. Form mixture into 2 1/2 inch patties, using wet hands. Mix crumbs with lemon thyme in a shallow dish. Set second beaten egg in a separate shallow dish. Dip patties in egg, then crumbs, keeping spaced apart on a plate. Heat 1/4” of oil in a large skillet on high. Place patties gently in oil (the level with rise as more are added), and cook in two batches, about a minute per side, or until golden. Lift out with a slotted spatula to a bacon tray or plate lined with paper towels. Serve hot.
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Great White Skate
Taste of France
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Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 10 minutes Serves 4
1 skate wing, cut into four equal pieces
1/2 cup unbleached flour
3 tbs. butter
1/3 cup Newport Great White wine
fresh chopped parsley
The local wine gives this classic brown butter dish its uniqueness without competing with the delicate scallop flavor of skate, often caught as fishermen pursue other fish. It’s simple, quick, and more affordable than some other seafood. Cut prepared wing into four steaks. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add butter and melt, turning pan around, until lightly brown. Place skate gently in butter, cooking until opaque three-quarter’s through, about five minutes. Flip carefully and cook 3-5 minutes more. Add wine and cook off, scraping up crispy bits from the pan, about two minutes. Be careful to not overcook. Add chopped parsley and transfer to plates gently. Great with risotto.
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