skate baked in the bag with artichokes, purple potatoes, capers and crème fraîche

method

Potatoes and artichokes are always such a winning combination with fish, so I’ve put them in this dish, using fantastic purple potatoes which I’ve seen in the supermarket — if you can’t find them, ask your local store to get some in. They are a great color and, served in this way, might help in getting your kids to eat fish if they’re not keen. They’re not floury and they’re not waxy, just somewhere in the middle, so they’re great for baking and boiling. Buy the skate as fresh as you can — it doesn’t matter if the pieces are large or small, as you’ll want to cut them up anyway. Steaming skate makes it really soft, so it will just fall off the bone when done. This dish is just as good when eaten cold as a salad.

First make your 4 foil or wax paper bags. Do this by taking four 12-inch- square pieces of foil or wax paper, folding each one in half then folding up the 2 ends tightly, giving you an “envelope.” Preheat the oven to 475°F. Boil your spuds until cooked, then drain and put to one side to cool. Slice them up roughly. Peel back the artichoke leaves, remove the chokes with a teaspoon, then rub the artichokes with lemon juice to keep them from discoloring and slice very finely. Put the artichokes and pota- toes in a bowl with the melted butter, thyme, parsley and capers and sea- son well with salt and pepper. Toss together and divide between the bags. There’ll be a little butter left over in the bottom of the bowl, so you can add a little olive oil to it and use this to rub onto the skate pieces.

Season the fish with salt and pepper, then place on top of the potatoes and artichokes. Add a glass of wine to each bag with a sprig of rosemary, tightly sealing the final side and pulling up the corners so that the liquid is contained. Bake on a roasting pan in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. By this time the bags will be beautifully puffed up. Serve at the table so that your guests can open their bags themselves, leaving a plate of really flavorful vegetables, fish and juice. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche, seasoned with a little salt and pepper, and a nice green salad

serves: 4

ingredients

• 2lb 3oz purple potatoes, scrubbed
• 5 medium to large globe artichokes
• 1 lemon
• 4 heaping tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 handful of fresh thyme, leaves picked
• 1 large handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• 4 heaping tablespoons capers in oil or brine, drained
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil
• 4 8oz skate pieces, trimmed and halved
• 4 small wineglasses of white wine
• 4 small sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 4 tablespoons crème fraîche