Anna Sogaard's Springtime Skate

We met Anna last year when her and Lauren Wall, cooked for our first IN STORIES dinner in Manchester at Trove in Ancoats. Anna is sous chef at the sister property to Trove, erst.

After attending culinary school and working as a chef in Copenhagen for several years, Anna moved to England to join the opening team at erst. Anna grew up with a southern American mother and a Danish father, whose two food cultures have shaped who she is as a chef and how she cooks. 

Anna says “I love the hominess and sense of comfort from southern cooking and the simple and minimal aesthetic of the Nordic cuisine.”

While working at erst Anna met Sommelier Kim Mcbride (erst, The Creameries). Together they started Supp-HER, a supper club  powered by women in support of various women’s organizations. Their last event was held to raise funds for Trafford Rape Crisis. They plan to host many more when the current climate allows it!

INGREDIENTS

(makes enough for two portions of sauce)

1 skate wing filet

150-200g peas (frozen are fine - the more the peas, the stronger the flavour)

1/2 lemongrass shoot

1 shallot, roughly chopped

2 whole garlic cloves, peeled

Handful wild garlic (or mint, parsley, basil Etc)

300-400ml of chicken, fish or vegetable stock

About 50g butter 

1 lemon

Handful of capers 

Neutral oil for frying

Pea shoots for garnish (or watercress)

METHOD

For the fish:

Put some of your oil into a pan, get it nice and hot and put your skate in. Let the the skin star to crisp and once you see it start to curl, flip it to the other side. Cook until internal temp reach around 60-63C - this can be done on the stove, or finished off in the oven (about 120C) once both sides of the wing are lightly golden.

For the pea and lemongrass sauce:

In a separate pan, sweat your shallot and garlic cloves until soft and translucent in your butter.

Add your peas and 1/2 lemongrass shoot (split in half). 

Add around 200-300ml chicken or fish stock, depending on how thin you want the sauce to be. The more stock you put, the thinner the sauce - but be mindful we’ll be blending the sauce and then running it through a sieve (optional).

Add your wild garlic/parsley/basil etc. And simmer for a few more minutes.

Remove lemongrass shoot and blend sauce until smooth using a blender/nutribullet/hand blender.

Pass sauce through strainer.

Fry capers in neutral oil until golden and crispy. 

Pour a generous portion of the sauce on the bed of the plate - opt for a plate that has a slight curve to it so the sauce doesn’t run off the plate.

Place your fish jut off to the side.

Garnish with fried capers and pea shoots.