Skate wing
Raw skate wing is a broad pectoral fin with flesh on either side of a fan of cartilage. Buy it skinned for brodetto alla termolese and use the cleaned, cartilage-in weight.
- Identity
- Commercial skate and ray wings can come from several species; the name does not establish Raja clavata.
- Form
- Raw, skinned wing with cartilage retained.
- For brodetto
- Portions cut across the wing, with no tough skin left.
Let the fishmonger skin it
Ask for the tough skin to be removed from both sides and the wing cut into manageable portions. Keep the cartilage in place for this recipe. Handle the cooked portions gently and separate the flesh from the supporting cartilage at the table.
A wing, not a fillet
The edible wing spreads out from a thicker edge into a thinner fan. Its supporting cartilage is part of this purchase form, so a raw wing and a boneless fillet do not have interchangeable weights. In brodetto alla termolese, portioned wing joins the tomato and pepper base after the cephalopods have begun to soften.
Cook with it
Read the species on the label
Confirm the actual species, source and whether the wing is fresh or thawed. A skinned wing is not enough to establish the species by sight. Buy the specified raw form, rather than cooked flesh or a wing fillet, and ask for the weight after skinning.
Keep the raw form cold
Refrigerate promptly in a covered container, separated from ready-to-eat food. Follow the seller’s storage directions and use-by date. Thaw frozen seafood in the refrigerator, not on the worktop, and keep it cold until cooking.
