Skate Provencale Recipes

SKATE PROVENCALE

Steps:

• Put skate wings into a dish and pour milk over them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Put flour into a flat dish and dip skate pieces into it. Coat well on all sides and shake off excess.
• Use a paring knife to cut a small, shallow X in the bottom of each tomato. Drop tomatoes into boiling water and let stand 12 seconds. Drain and peel. Cut away and discard core. Cut tomatoes in half and push out seeds with your fingers. Squeeze gently to remove remaining seeds.
• Cut tomatoes into half-inch cubes. There should be about 2 1/2 cups.
• In 2 skillets, each large enough to hold the fish pieces in one layer, put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the corn oil.
• Heat skillets and place 2 skate wings in each. Cook about 3 minutes or until golden brown on one side. Turn and continue cooking 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown on the second side. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fish. Transfer the pieces to a platter.
• Combine remaining oils in a skillet and add tomatoes, garlic, shallots, rosemary, salt, pepper and vinegar. Cook over moderately high heat about 2 minutes. Spoon sauce over skate wings and sprinkle with basil or parsley.

BEEF PROVENCALE

Steps:

• Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the oil to the skillet and heat just until beginning to smoke. Brown the meat all over and sear the roast, turning as each side turns a deep mahogany, about 10 minutes. While the meat browns, put the flour into a medium bowl and whisk with about 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth until smooth.
• Crush the tomatoes through your fingers into the slow cooker; stir in their juices, 3 tablespoons of the cognac, herbes de Provence, and the 2 teaspoons salt.
• Transfer the browned meat to the slow cooker. Add the remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth to the skillet; let it bubble for a minute and then stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour over the meat, then scatter the garlic, carrots, fennel, and onion over and around the meat. Pour the flour mixture over. Cover the cooker, set it on HIGH, and cook for 4 hours. Set the cooker on LOW and cook until the meat is very tender, up to 2 hours more (for a total of 6 hours). Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Skim any excess fat off the top of the sauce in the cooker.
• To finish the sauce: Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon cognac, the tomato tapenade, parsley, and orange zest into the vegetables and sauce in the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Slice the meat and lay the slices down the center of a serving platter. Arrange the vegetables around the meat and spoon some sauce over the top. Serve with hot buttered egg noodles. Pass the remaining sauce.

SHELLFISH STEW PROVENçALE

Steps:

• Clean the hard-shelled clams:
• Scrub the clams thoroughly with a stiff brush under cold water, discarding any that have cracked shells or that are not shut tightly.
• Make the stew:
• In a kettle cook the onion, the fennel, and the bell pepper in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened. Stir in the zest, the minced thyme, the bay leaf, the cayenne, and the saffron, cook the mixture, stirring, for 30 seconds, and add the wine, the stock, the tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the mixture, uncovered, for 15 minutes, add the garlic, and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes. The stew may be prepared up to this point 2 days in advance, cooled, uncovered, and kept covered and chilled. Stir in the shrimp and the clams and simmer the mixture, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the crab legs and the scallops, simmer the stew, covered, for 3 minutes, or until the scallops are just cooked through and the clams are opened, and discard the bay leaf and any unopened clams. Divide the stew among 8 heated bowls and garnish it with the thyme sprigs.
• Make the stock:
• In a well-buttered heavy saucepan combine the fish bones and trimmings, the onion, the parsley, the lemon juice, and the salt and steam the mixture, covered, over moderately high heat for 5 minutes. Add the water and the wine, bring the liquid to a boil, skimming the froth, and simmer the stock for 20 minutes. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a bowl, let it cool to warm, and chill it, covered. The stock keeps, covered and chilled, for 1 week if it is brought to a boil every 2 days and then allowed to cool to warm, uncovered, before being chilled again. The stock keeps, frozen, for 3 months. Makes about 6 cups.

EASY STEAK PROVENCALE

Steps:

• Pour wine into a large plastic zip-top bag and add smashed garlic cloves.
• Place steaks into bag, seal and "knead" bag to cover steaks all over in wine.
• Place in fridge to marinate (at least one hour).
• Meanwhile, coarsely chop black and green olives.
• Place olives in a medium-sized bowl; stir in chopped tomato and capers with liquid.
• Season with black pepper to taste.
• Place olive mixture in fridge until needed.
• When ready to cook, season steaks with the salt, pepper and garlic powder.
• Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
• Add steaks and cook 2-5 minutes per side for desired doneness (rare to medium).
• Place steaks on a serving platter and top each with equal portions of the olive mixture.