Name: Scapece di pesce
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1620 min
Yield: 4 portions (Chilled fish antipasto.)
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1,000 g Skate flesh (skinned, boneless, ready-to-cook weight); 100 g Type 00 wheat flour (for dusting; discard the excess); 1,000 ml Extra virgin olive oil (working frying bath, not absorbed quantity); 8 g Fine salt (for the cooked fish); 1,000 ml White wine vinegar; 500 ml Dry white wine (Trebbiano d'Abruzzo); 0.2 g Saffron threads (lightly crushed)

Use cleaned skate flesh with every piece of cartilage removed. A light flour coating and small frying batches keep the pieces intact before their refrigerated rest.

Make ahead Prepare a day ahead and keep refrigerated throughout the marinating period. This is a chilled dish for the following day.

By Italia Magnifica · Updated October 2026

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 35 min
Rest: 26 hr
Yield: 4 portions (Chilled fish antipasto.)
Difficulty: Medium

Scapece di pesce

Prep 25 min · Cook 35 min · Rest 26 hr · Yield 4 portions (Chilled fish antipasto.) · Difficulty Medium

Ingredients

Skip to the method

4 portions (Chilled fish antipasto.)

Fish

1,000 g2¼ lb
Skate fleshskinned, boneless, ready-to-cook weightskinned, boneless, ready-to-cook weight
8 g1⅓ tsp
Fine saltfor the cooked fishfor the cooked fish

Frying

100 g¾ cup
Type 00 wheat flourfor dusting; discard the excessfor dusting; discard the excess
1,000 ml4¼ cups
Extra virgin olive oilworking frying bath, not absorbed quantityworking frying bath, not absorbed quantity

Marinade

1,000 ml4¼ cups
White wine vinegar
500 ml2 cups
Dry white wineTrebbiano d'AbruzzoTrebbiano d'Abruzzo
0.2 g0.2 g
Saffron threadslightly crushedlightly crushed

Equipment

High-sided 24 cm frying pan
Frying thermometer
Slotted spoon
Saucepan
Shallow glass or glazed ceramic containers
Kitchen paper

Method

Check the skate carefully for cartilage and cut into pieces about 5 cm across and no more than 1.5 cm thick. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Keep the fish chilled while preparing the oil and marinade.Check the skate carefully for cartilage and cut into pieces about 2 in across and no more than ½ in thick. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Keep the fish chilled while preparing the oil and marinade.
Warm the vinegar and wine in a saucepan until steaming, then take off the heat and stir in the saffron. Leave to infuse while frying the fish.Warm the vinegar and wine in a saucepan until steaming, then take off the heat and stir in the saffron. Leave to infuse while frying the fish.
Pour the oil into a high-sided pan about 24 cm wide, keeping it well below half full, and heat to 175°C. Dust a quarter of the fish lightly with flour and shake off the excess. Fry for about 6 minutes, turning carefully, until golden, opaque through the center and easy to separate into flakes. Adjust the time to the thickness. Repeat in four batches, letting the oil return to temperature between batches.Pour the oil into a high-sided pan about 9½ in wide, keeping it well below half full, and heat to 350°F. Dust a quarter of the fish lightly with flour and shake off the excess. Fry for about 6 minutes, turning carefully, until golden, opaque through the center and easy to separate into flakes. Adjust the time to the thickness. Repeat in four batches, letting the oil return to temperature between batches.
Drain the fish on kitchen paper, season with the salt and arrange in shallow glass or glazed ceramic containers. Pour over the saffron liquid to cover. Cool promptly in small portions and refrigerate within 2 hours; cover once cool and keep at 0–5°C for 24 hours.Drain the fish on kitchen paper, season with the salt and arrange in shallow glass or glazed ceramic containers. Pour over the saffron liquid to cover. Cool promptly in small portions and refrigerate within 2 hours; cover once cool and keep at 30–40°F for 24 hours.
Lift the fish from the marinade and serve chilled the following day. Keep the remaining portions refrigerated until serving.Lift the fish from the marinade and serve chilled the following day. Keep the remaining portions refrigerated until serving.