# Eaten Skate



## FishSlaya (Aug 9, 2001)

Ok I have finally decided to try the next skate I catch. Been hearing they are good eating for a while and figure why not. I have some questions on preparation. Do you just use the wings? Do you skin it? Is it like trying to skin a catfish? From what I have read there is no size limit is there? Are the smaller ones more tender or should I keep a bigger one for more flavor? Also if anyone has any recipes that are good they would be helpful. 
Figure I usually snag at least one every time I go out so I might as well try it at least once.


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## bassn (Jun 12, 2003)

Fishslaya, 

I have not personally cooked one, or even tasted one for that matter, but I have heard of restaurants in Florida using the wings as an imitation scallop. Not sure, but I think they skin it and then cut the wings into little balls and fry it, or bake it in a butter mixture with spices. 
I bet it is not too bad, please let us know.

Todd


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## wizardude (May 19, 2002)

*This should help............*

http://www.pierandsurf.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20&highlight=Skate


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## TopSnipe (Apr 24, 2002)

*This too...*

http://www.pierandsurf.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=881


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## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

*off the subject.....*

Any 1 ever try the wings off a bull nose ray?Seen one cut and fileted @ the Broad Bay Passage.Heard they taste like scallops?????


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## catfishmama (Mar 6, 2002)

Check out the NJ board. davehunt posted what he does no prepare skate for cooking. Says the are wonderful. Guess I'll have to save one next time I'm at the beach and give it a try. Have a great weekend. Heading to N.J. for a little fishing, sun and fun.


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## Anthony (Jul 3, 2002)

It seems every few months, this topic comes up. Here is my two cents. Skate actually taste pretty good. I am referring to the clear nosed skate that are a tan color that rarely go over 10 pounds. Just cut off the wings and take the skin off. You can either fillet off the meat or just leave it on the bone. You can cook it just as you would any other fish. I prefer baking it with season-all and slices of garlic with a little olive oil. The rays, cow nosed rays, are horrible. To gamey for my taste. I tried one a few years ago and regretted it ever since. It's been a long time since I have had skate but it's pretty good and in my opinion worth keeping if other species of fish aren't biting. Hope this helps.
-Anthony


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## skunked (Jun 4, 2001)

If you look there are some recepies for skate online. My neighbor says she can cook skate ( she is Chinese so she sould know!) but I haven't gotten her to teach me how. Will let you know when I do.


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## firedog (Apr 27, 2003)

I tried skate earlier in the summer with some I caught on Lynnhaven pier, like they said the tan skates are the only ones to eat, It is easier to clean the bigger ones. The best way to do it (for me anyway) is to cut the wings close to the body, then take a sharp fillet knife and cut away skin in a skinning motion, there is a piece of catilage in between two pieves of meat, the upper meat is going to be alot thicker, I tried dipping them in egg wash and then in (House of Autry) fish breader and fried till golden brown, didn't quite taste like scallops but would return to my table anyday. Believe me if you like a good fishfry, you will keep a few and release a few in the future, The best way to catch them is target any other species but the skate and I will bet you catch one. Ha Ha Good luck on trying them. Tight lines to all.


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

*I'll give it a go*

Can someone post a link to a pic of the edible skate that's being referred to?

Thanks


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## FL FISHERMAN (Sep 30, 2002)

*Try this*

No color to it but I believe this is what they are talking about


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## FL FISHERMAN (Sep 30, 2002)

*Well*

The thorny one is the one I usually catch but here is page with the 7 types on it. skates Maybe firedog can say which one is most edible.


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

*For some reason*

They all look alike to me. I saw a few small ones caught but I only got a good look at the underside of them as the hooks were being removed.

Thanks for the response FL FISHERMAN.


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## FL FISHERMAN (Sep 30, 2002)

Yeah I believe almost everyone I have caught in md and above have been the thorny because when I pull them in they curl their wings up and they look and feel like a rubber ball with grippies on em.


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

*are you saying*

that you actually pick them up with your hands?8(---) 




The type you usually catch there may just be what is caught from the Va piers. The ones that are easy to reel in are probably the edible types. The ones that have to be pulled in by hand are probably the ones to not eat.


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## firedog (Apr 27, 2003)

FL Fisherman's link he posted, if you look at the first one The barn door skate looks pretty close, you should be able to tell, the tan colored skate is the one you wqnt, I believe from what I have seen the Bull nose skate is alot darker almost black and the nose is considerably differant than the picture of the barn door skate, Hope this helps, I have never seen a bull nose caught at Lynnhaven or Sandbridge the majority of the ones you catch at these two locations are the ones that go "MMMMM" in ya tummy!!!!


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

*thanks firedog*

wish me luck at keeping the right one... Cause I sure don't want to :---> after a meal.


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## FL FISHERMAN (Sep 30, 2002)

Yup I actually pick them up  and until now when I researched I didn't know there was more than one type of skate. I am sure I have caught a few of the others but am also sure most of them were thorny ones


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

I'll pick up skates and stingrays, and I don't usually remove the barb either. There's a way to do it, if you know what you're doing.

Now as for eating them, I'll wait until winter when they're the only thing biting.


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

*thanks*

for the info guys.


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## Tom Powers (Aug 2, 2001)

There are color pictures as part of the VA Saltwater Anglers Guide. The figures (1.9 MB) can be down loaded at:

http://www.mrc.state.va.us/vswft/angler_web_guide.pdf

The entire book can be down loaded chapter by chapter at:

http://www.mrc.state.va.us/vswft/index2.htm

Tom


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## JerryB (May 15, 2003)

*Skate Lovin' CDog*

come on CDog, try a skate, then instead of screamin' 

*" Why Oh Why Skate couldn't you wait, Surely a cobia was coming for my bait."*

You could be grillin' those Skate While-U-Wate for Mr. Brown to take your Bate.


or as Dr. Suess would say:


I caught a skate that took my bait

it took my bait when it was late

it took my bait right from the gate

it took my bait which tasted great

wait, wait, 
bait tastes great, does skate?

clean, clean
cook, cook, the recipe is in my book

grill it up, 
grill it down,
i love to hear that grillin' sound

it was not ready until quite late,
that skate that ate my bait tastes great!

skate tastes great!
Quick cut more bait.

more bait, more skate
big bait, big skate
short bait, short skate
old bait, young bait
new skate, old skate

skate, skate, skate to eat my bait

i need more skate to take my bait,
more skate to taste great when its grilled up late!




cheers
jerry


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

*JerryB*

ROTFLMAO


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## JerryB (May 15, 2003)

aw, shucks....


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## skunked (Jun 4, 2001)

What?! Are you channeling Dr. Seus now?


The skate most of us catch is the Atlantic Clear Nosed Skate.


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## ccc6588 (Jun 20, 2003)

*Dr. Seuss*

That was great. I've got to read it to my boys.


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## JerryB (May 15, 2003)

read to your kids, good show!!

bet you screw up on the line that reads:

*"that skate that ate my bait tastes great!"*


its a tough one

jerry


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## inawe (May 24, 2003)

*DAM [ DR SEUS FISHED W/CDOG?]*

prolly aint catch nuttn  how many peppers did peter piper pick ?:--->


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## obxtraveler (Jun 28, 2003)

*ROTFLMAO*

WHAT?????????????


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

Rolling On The Floor Laughing My A** Off ROTFLMAO.


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## Guest (Jul 14, 2003)

Saw one belly up and stiff as a board at TCC. A small cownose.

What a waste. And only a few inches from the edge. It was easy for the person who caught it to push it back in. Lazy folk. Abandoned trash left on the pier. Adults...can't figure some of them some of the time.


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## Kozlow (Oct 25, 2002)

Angling Tips - How To Prepare Skate For Cooking
Mike Thrussell tells his secrets on how to cook skate. 

If there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s fish being killed for food and then wasted through bad preparation.

This applies more to skate wings than any other fish. Anglers constantly tell me that their skate tastes of ammonia, and it will if you don’t prepare it properly. 

Here’s the correct way to prepare skate wings for cooking.

A soon as you catch a skate you want to take for eating, then humanely kill the fish with several sharp blows between the eyes with something heavy.

Take a sharp knife, not a filleting knife but a strong bladed type that will not bend when pressure is applied. Make sure the knife is extremely sharp. Steel is best for this.

1. Turn the skate over on to its back tail towards you and hold the tail with a rag to protect the hands. Draw a straight imaginary line running from the front of the wing, just to the outside of the gills, and down to the bottom of the wing adjacent to the tail. Put the knife through the base of the wing at the start of the imaginary line. Now cut away from you and upwards through to the side of the gills and further through to end of the imaginary line just slightly to one side of the nose.

2. The knife will inevitably hit the thorns on a thornback and you’ll need to cut round these as the root of the thorns is ultra tough. There is also hard cartilage around the middle of the wing where it joins the body and this again takes some getting through. Repeat to remove the opposite wing.

3. Now, the most important part. Place the cut wing on something flat with the wings cut edge towards you. Put the point of the knife in just underneath the skin at one end and slide the knife across the flesh at a sideways angle just underneath the skin to separate it from the flesh. Do this across the whole wing slowly until the skin at the front can be lifted upwards. Hold the skin in the left hand and repeatedly slice away underneath it along the whole length of the skin further back across the wing until you get to within a couple of inches (5cms) of the extreme outer edge of the wing. Turn the wing over and repeat.

4. If you now look at the white flesh underneath the skin on both sides you can see this forms a half moon shape. With the knife, start at one end and cut out the shape of the half moon tight to where the skin is still attached. You will know have a half moon shaped wing of just flesh and wing cartilage with no skin attached. Just like you buy it in the shops. 

5. Preferably, place this in a plastic bag inside a freezer box with ice blocks until your return home. Once home, place the wings in fresh tap water with lots of salt added and place it in the fridge for 24 hours. The skate is now ready for cooking. The flesh is white and has no ammonia taste. The ammonia is in the skin. Also there is no slime as again the slime comes from the skin. 

6. I’m no Rick Stein, but you can bake it in silver foil with a little butter and black pepper, fry it in light hot oil, grill it with some light seasoning on top, or my preference is to risk the cholesterol and fry it in good old beer batter until golden brown.


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