Wet Market, Part 5, “Wing or Sting?”

By Herb Pillar

Skate Wing or Stingray?  They are different in the sea, but in the kitchen they are the same!  Almost unheard of in Canadian grocery stores and fish markets, and completely absent from restaurant menus, skate wing presents a marvellous culinary opportunity here in Asia.  Don’t decide to make skate wing this weekend – find it first!  Even here in Singapore, it is not always available, so when you do see it at the wet market, snap it up!

Stingray is a regular offering at Singapore hawker stalls, (ikan pari bakar), but it is very difficult to find it in a North American cookbook.  It does have a long presence in French cooking.  When properly prepared, it is tender, succulent and delicious and has a wonderful texture - but like squid, it can become rubbery and tasteless if overcooked.  Perhaps that’s why people tend to shy away from it.  This is the exact reason why I am going to give you a foolproof method for preparing stingray at home, French style, poached and with beurre noire and capers.

Have your stingray wing cut into pieces like the one on my cutting board in the photo.    Bring some fish stock (court bouillon) to the boil.  If you don’t have fish stock, use water, a small handful of peppercorns, and a glass of dry white wine.  There should be enough stock to cover the fish.  Take the boiling stock off the stove and immediately slide your stingray piece into the pot, cover, and let sit for about 12 minutes. 

While the fish is poaching off the stove, slap a few tablespoons of unsalted butter into a small saucepan on low heat.  The butter will melt, become clear, and the solids will settle to the bottom of the pan.  Leave them there.  They will gradually turn golden, then brown, like in the photo.  Toss in a tablespoon of capers.   Keep warm, but don’t let it burn!

When the fish is done, take it out of the liquid, peel off the skin, and with a spoon, scrape the meat off the cartilage, both sides.  It will come away easily, in lovely long strands, like spaghetti squash.   Gently spoon some of the warm buerre noire over the top, and serve immediately, with tiny boiled potatoes and your choice of green vegetables – asparagus or ladyfingers would be nice.  Serve with a very dry, very chilled white wine, such as a New Zealand Riesling.  Very tasty and very special!

You learned it here in Singapore.