Instructions: Up to one day and a minimum of 8 hours in advance place skate in cool court bouillon (see below) and bring to the boil. After one strong bubble remove from the heat and cool fish to tepid in the bouillom. If skate wings re thin remove them as soon as the bouillon comes to the boil. Remove the flesh and set aside. Discard skin and bones. Strain the bouillon through a muslinlined sieve into a clean pan and boil hard to reduce to 600ml. Soak gelatine with white wine for a few minutes then stir into till hot but not boiling. bouilloll. Taste for seasoning then set pan in icecl water to cool until the consistency of egg white.

Blanch vegetables separately in boiling salted water refresh in cold water and drain. Line a 26cm by 10.5cm hinged loaf tin with Cling film. (An ordinary loaf tin may be subsituted.) Place half the fish in a layer on the bottom and cover with bouillon. Add the carrots and beans and cover with bouillon. Top with an even layer of the remaining fish covered in bouillon. Set on a dish cover and refrigerate until set . Whisk the egg yolk mustard vinegar salt and pepper together. Dribble in the oil while whisking to make a mayonnaise. Fold in the capers and refrigerate. One hour before serving turn the loaf tin out. Slice with a knife dipped in boiling water then dried. Arrange on plates with a dollop of mayonnaise and some water cress

Note: you call get more even layers by refrigeratind each layer until it is almost set then adding the next layer.

to make court bouillon: add all ingredients to 1.1 Iitre of water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently uncovered. for 15 minutes.

Serves 8

It is easy to extract the thin ribs of flesh from skate and they make ideal pieces for layering in terrines

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